
Book_ 'M 3 

GopyiiglitW 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 




A Fine Dog. 



FOUR FEET, WINGS, AND FINS, 



By MRS. A. E. ANDERSON-MASKELL. 







O...J..kf.Q..2(5f 

BOSTON: 
D. LOTHROP AND COMPANY, 

FRANKLIN STREET, CORNER HAWLEY. 



CONTENTS 



PART I. 



POUR FEET. 



Chapter. 
1. Tired 



2. The First Subject — Felis-domestica 

3. The Second Lesson — Canis-familiaris 

4. Down by the Creek 

5. A Raccoon in Church 

6. The Funny Pin-cushion 

7. An Old Fashioned Visit 

8. The Menagerie 



Page. 

7 

20 

42 

65 

100 

128 

150 

177 



CONTENTS. 

PART II. 

WINGS. 

Chapter. Page. 

1. The Birds' Concert . . . . . 211 

2. The Snipe's Nest 243 

3. Bob White . . . . . .275 

4. Kenny's Goslings . . . • • . 316 

5. The Dutch Woman and Her Pets . . 332 

6. Kenny's Chickens 350 

7. Pat and the Wasps . . . . . 382 

8. More about Insects 400 

PART III. 

fins. 

1. The Fishing Party .431 

2. Catching Lobsters . . . . . . 459 

3. Revelations of the Microscope . . . 493 



PART I. 

FOUR FEET. 




FOUR FEET, WINGS AND FINS. 



CHAPTER I. 



TIRED. 



" O, I am tired — just as tired as ever I can be ! " 
exclaimed little May Ellerton, petulantly, as she flung 
off her sun-hat and threw herself upon the lounge. 

" And I am ' tarder ' 'an I tan be, lisped little five- 
year old Rose, brushing back her, damp, dishevelled 
hair with both chubby hands. 

" I do wish you'd be careful, May," snapped her 
brother Frank. " You have thrown your old hat 
right down upon my sail-boat." 



TIRED. 



" Take your old boat," cried May, snatching up her 
hat and giving it a fling in another direction. 

" I don't see why you children couldn't have staid 
out until I had finished my story," came languidly 
from another quarter. 

" Mamma, I think it is real hard for you to make 
us to go out every day with that stupid Miss Clax- 
ton. She just scolds us the whole time ; and to-day 
she went so far as to slap Rose." 

"Yes, mamma, just 'betauth' my foots were hot 
and I wanted to dip 'em down in 'e brook," complained 
little Rose. 

" And she won't talk one word about anything 
nice. When we ask her about things she tells us to 
' not bother ' her," said Frank. 

Here a young, girlish looking lady, sitting on a low 
chair by the window, spoke : 

" Aunt Myra, you know Miss Claxton is to go on 
Saturday, why can't I teach the children after she 
leaves. 

" You ! " exclaimed her aunt. 

" I know you doubt my qualifications, since I was 
brought up in such a tiny Western village ; but you 
must not forget that my father was a teacher as well 
as a preacher." 



TIRED. 



" O, Cousin Grace, if you only would ! " exclaimed 
the children, clustering around her. 

" I don't know as I care, if you really wish it," said 
Mrs. Ellerton, lost in her book again. 

" You won't make us take any more stupid walks, 
will you ? " asked May, pleadingly. 

" I expect our walks to be the most pleasant fea- 
ture of my instructions," smiled their cousin. 

" Oh-h ! " groaned the children in chorus. 

" Why, you are not as wide awake as Pat Ryan," 
laughed Grace. "He had his pockets crammed with 
curiosities he had picked up yesterday coming just in 
to Sunday-school, and right in the midst of the lesson 
he put a stop to everything by exhibiting one of 
them, his face one broad grin." 

" ' Well, what is it ? ' I asked ; for every eye in the 
class was turned from me to Pat. 

" ' A hop-toad, ma'am,' he answered, boldly. 

" ' Is it alive t ' I asked, stretching out my hand for 
it. 

" ' You better believe,' said Pat. 

" ' I wouldn't touch it. Miss. It'll make warts a) 
over your hands," spoke up the smallest boy in tl 
class. 



TIRED. 



" ' O, no, I guess not,' said I — and then I began 
telling the children all I knew about toads. They 
all gave attention ; but Pat amused me as he sat 
with open eyes and mouth drinking in every word." 

" Why don't you tell us something about the toad," 





ked Frank. 

" Wait until we find one some time in one of our 
ks. The history of toads is far more interesting 
the most exciting fairy tale ; besides being all 



\s go take a walk now'' said May, eagerly. 

10 



TIRED. 



" You forget you are tired and never want to take 
any more walks," laughed their mother. 

" After the toad subject had been exhausted," con- 
tinued Grace, " Pat dived into his pocket and brought 
out a poor little dead mouse. 

" ' A ground-mouse — killed it with a stun',' he 
grinned. 

" Then I talked about the mouse trying to interest 
him in such a way as to make him feel ashamed of 
his cruelty ; but whether I succeeded or not, I don't 
know. After the mouse, he drew out two live beetles 
and a dead musquito, carefully rolled in a leaf, say- 
ing : ' It's the feathers. Miss, he is afther wearing on 
top of his head that takes my eye. I never noticed 
'em till to-day ; and the little fellow was waiting out- 
side for me after Sunday-school and said he wanted 
to know su'thin' about that musquiter.' " 

" I wondered Sunday what you walked along with 
that Pat Ryan for," said Frank. 

" After becoming satisfied about the mosquito, Pat 
was full of other questions. During the short time I 
was with him he pointed out to me a bat, two spiders, 
a humming-bird, some ants and corn-weevils. Noth- 
ing seemed to escape his restless eyes." 

11 



TIRED. 



" Isn't it strange, that as a general thing, poor chil- 
dren take so much more interest in the study of na- 
ture?" said Mrs. Ellerton. 

" The fact is due, I think, to rich children being too 
well supplied with playthings. They get their minds 
directed more to the skill of man, and are not thrown 
so much on their own resources for entertainment. 
I know that in my short walk with Pat he furnished 
me with enough subjects to represent nearly every 
department of zoology.' 

" What is zoology ? " asked Frank. 

" If you'll get pencil and paper and note down what 
I shall tell you, it may be of use to you during our 
walks." 

" I tan't write," pouted little Rose. 

" Come and sit in mamma's lap and she'll print for 
you," said Mrs. Ellerton. 

" Zoology^' said Grace, " as soon as they were all 
ready, "is that part of natural history which tells us 
how animals are classed, how they are made, what 
they do, and all about their homes. Think now that 
zoology will be interesting ? For instance, suppose 
we take Pat's toad. Wouldn't you like to be able to 
tell how he is formed, what he does, and where he 
lives.?" 

12 




A Humming-bird. 



TIRED. / 



'* I never thought anything about toads anyway," 
said Frank, " but come to remember, I know they do 
do funny things, sometimes." 

" Now write under your heading of zoology : 
' The Animal kingdom embraces five sub-kingdoms, 
Vertebrates; Articulates; Mollusks ; Radiates; Pro- 
tozoans' 

" Vertebrates mean all animals that have brains and 
spinal cords; like men, horses, snakes and fishes. 

" Articulates mean having the body and members 
jointed, like a beetle, a wasp, a crab. 

" Mollusks mean having a soft body without joints, 
like snails and oysters." 

" Always thought snails and oysters were hard," 
spoke up Frank. 

" The house they live in, you mean. Take a snail 
or oyster out of his shell and he is very soft." 

" O, yes ! O, yes ! " said Frank, coloring. 

" Radiates mean animals which are something like 
flowers, having their inner organs as well as their 
outer, radiately arranged, that is, — tracing from a 
centre — their mouths are in or near this centre, and 
some of them seem to grow from a stem, like a flower. 
Radiates include corals, star-fishes and jelly-fishes. 

15 



TIRED. 



'' Protozoa7is are animals that have no proper 
mouths nor members, yet they eat and digest." 

" I don't see how anything can eat without a 
mouth ! " said Frank, with very wide-open eyes. 




" There may be seen a depression or sHght falHng 
in of the surface when they are absorbing their food. 
You might call that a mouth, I suppose. The sponge 
with which you rub your slate is the skeleton of one 



16 



TIRED. 



of these Protozoans. When found attached to rocks 
and shells under water, it is always covered with a 
soft, jelly-like skin." 

" IVe dot a piece of sponge," said Rose. " He's 
dot lots and lots of mouths. He tan't eat, but he can 
drink lots of water." 

" Good for you," laughed Frank. 

And Rose shook her curls and looked as wise as a 
little owl. 

" I know I shall remember what protozoans are, 
they are so awful odd," remarked Mary. 

" I know about vertebrates^ for I had it in my phy- 
siology," said Frank. 

" We had articulate in our reading lessons," added 
May, " but I didn't know it meant such things too ! " 

Frank laughed. 

" No need to laugh," said Grace, " our word articu- 
lates, and reader-word articulate, are the same words 
only used in a different sense. Articulate, in zoology, 
is a noun, and means having the body and members 
jointed. Articulate, in your reading lesson, is a verb, 
and means to utter distinctly — that is, to have the 
sounds well-jointed, connected, yet distinct. 

" There are two divisions of Articulates in zoology 

17 



TIRED. 



— a Land Division and a Water Division. The Land 
Division breathe through pores arranged along their 
sides ; the Water Division by means of their gills. 
Insects belong to the Land Division ; crabs and lob- 
sters to the Water Division." 

" Then I have vertebrates, artictdates ^.nd protozoans 
stowed away all right," said Frank, tapping his fore- 
head with his pencil. 

" I know mollusks, too," said May, " for the word 
seems like fnush somehow, and mush is always soft. 
When I want to remember that word, all I shall have 
to do is to think of mush. There are radiates, too, — 
radiates have stems like flowers, isn't that it, Cousin 
Grace ? " 

" Most of them." 

" Then, are they always stationary in one place fas- 
tened to something by their stem } " asked Frank. 

" O, no, they can move about. Each ray of their 

bodies is supplied with soft, fleshy tubes which they 

can push out and draw in again. With these tiny 

tubes they often attach themselves fast to the rocks 

with such force that you might think that they were 

stationary, but they are not. Suddenly they unclasp 

and float away. I saw a star-fish once which my 

18 



TIRED. 



uncle brought home with him. It was about the color 
of straw and as large as the bottom of a common ink- 
bottle. It was a perfect star, and looked more like 
the work of art than nature. They are covered with 
a hard crust, and this crust defends them from the 
smaller animals. You see how God cares even for 
the least of his creatures." 

Rose was looking with great earnestness upon the 
speaker. 

" What does mamma's little sweet remember about 
it ? " asked her mother, hugging her up tight. 

" I dess I 'members mushy, soft animals the best," 
said the child, with a little sigh. 

" Wait until we come to watch and see what the 
animals do and go where they live and look at them 
— Rose will remember as much as anybody," said 
Grace, encouragingly. 

" Tell us more," pleaded the children. 

" Not this afternoon, your ideas will get mixed. 
' Little by little,' you know. Come to me as soon as 
vou are dressed to-morrow morning, and we will take 
our first walk as Wonder-seekers." 



19' 




CHAPTER II. 
THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica. 

The next morning the children awoke to find it 
raining, and went down stairs with sour faces. 

" I'm just as mad as I can be ! " exclaimed May, 
the moment she saw her mamma and cousin. 

" And Tm just madder," said little Rose. " The 
naughty rain to tum when we was goin' to take a 
wonder-walk." 

" Don't be discouraged," said Cousin Grace. " I 
think there are subjects on the premises for to-day. 

20 



THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica. 

" Yes, there is the old cat," laughed Mrs. Ellerton. 

''My kitties," said Rose, smoothing down her little 
white apron. 

" May has a hen, and I a dog," laughed Frank. 

" Good," said Grace. " Why, we have enough to 
last us several mornings. Suppose we do begin with 
puss ? Where is she ? " 

Rose trotted out into the kitchen and soon returned 
with the nice white mother and her three little, downy, 
snowy kittens. 

" This is very nice," said Grace, appropriating the 
purring matron to herself, leaving a kitten for each 
one of the children. " And now, what do we want to 
find out about cats } " 

" How they are classed, how formed, what they do, 
and about their homes," answered May, quickly, fear- 
ful lest Frank should be the first to reply. 

" Well, to what sub-kingdom does our pussy be- 
long } " 

The children fell to studying their papers like lit- 
tle sages. 

Cousin Grace rubbed her hand meaningly, straight 
down Pussy's back. 

" O, I know," said Frank. " To the vertebrates, 
because she has a backbone." 

21 



THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica. 

" Of course," added May, quickly. 

" Yes, puss is a vertebrate ; and now we must next 
consider into how many classes the vertebrates are 
divided. To your pencils and papers now. Ver- 
tebrates, classes, four : Mammals ; Birds ; Rep- 
tiles ; Fishes. 

" That is easy," said May. 

" Well, then, to w^hich class do cats belong 1 " 

" Why — a cat isn't a bird, nor a reptile, nor a fish. 
A cat must be a mammal^' reasoned May. 

" What is a mammal ? " asked Grace. 

" It ' thoundth ' like mamma," said Little Rose, 
puckering up her forehead. 

" Yes, so it does, little love, and both words come 
from the same source. Mammal means breast. All 
animals who feed their little ones from their own 
bosoms are m^am.m,als. Pussy is a mammal because 
she nurses her kitties." 

*' I sawed her," said little Rose, " and May's hen 
wath in the nest, too, laying eggs, and there wath four 
kitties then. There's only ' free ' now." 

Grace looked enquiringly from one to the other. 

" O, she says that," May explained, " because the 
first time she ever saw her little kittens they were in 

22 




« There Wath Four Kitties Then. ' 



THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica, 

a great, big basket, which papa had fixed up for a 
hen's nest. Wasn't it funny. Cousin, that the cat 
should go in there with her kittens ? And the funniest 
of all, the old hen wasn't scared a bit, but would jump 
on her nest, beside the kittens, and lay an ^^^ every 
day." 

" Why, that is as good as my cat and pigeon story," 
said Grace. " I had a pigeon once that used to nes- 
tle down in the straw every day beside the house cat 
and her kittens ; and the cat seemed to actually enjoy 
the bird's society. Now to your papers again : 

" Mammals are divided principally into four sub-di- 
visions: Arckonts, Megasthenes, Mecrosthe7zes, and 
Ooticoidsr 

" Yow we're come to something hard," said May. 

" Archonts refer to man alone. We will have 
nothing more to do with that word ; but, please re- 
member the other three. Megasthenes include the 
larger and more powerful mammals ; Mecrosthenes^ 
the smaller ; and Ooticoids, mammals which have a 
pouch for carrying their young ; such as the opossum 
and kangaroo." 

" I suppose we can write it down," said May, " but 
I don't believe we shall ^z^^r remember. 

25 



THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica, 

" Well, then, suppose we forget them all for the 
present except Megasthenes, for it is to this division 
of mammals that cats belong ; and what I am going 
to tell you next is easier. To your papers, again. 
The orders of the Megasthenes are : First, Quadru- 
manes, which means animals like the monkeys, that 
have four limbs terminating in hands." 

" I shall remember that," said Frank, '" from the 
word quadru which means four, and manis, hands. 
Quadrumanes means four-handed, does it not 1 " 

" You are right. Then the second order are 
Camiverousr 

" Flesh-eating," spoke up Frank, quickly. 

" Yes ; and they have four limbs furnished with 
strong claws, like the lions, dogs and bears." 

"Then pussy is carniveroMs'\^2AA May, "because 
she feeds on mice, and she is very carniverous 
because she has very sharp claws." 

Grace gave the little girl an approving smile, 
and continued : 

" The third order are Herbiverous. Instead of 
having claws like carniverous animals, they have 
hoofs and trifurcating teeth, such as horses and 
cattle." 

26 




Strange Friends. 



THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica, 

" What does trifurcating mean ? " asked Frank. 

" The word comes from tri, three, and furca, fork. 
Teeth with three forks. The fourth and last order 
are, Mutilates, They have fins in place of feet, and 
live in the water, like the whale and dolphin." 

" You don't mean to say that the whale and dol- 
phin are mammals ? " cried Frank. " I thought they 
were fish." 

" No, they are mammals just as much as cats are. 
Mamma-whale never has but one little one to nurse 
at a time ; but she is very, very tender of that one, 
nursing it until it is a year old." 

The children were much excited over this piece of 
information, and pleaded for more on the same sub- 
ject. 

" You forget we are talking about cats," said Grace. 
" The last we learned about puss, was that she is car- 
niverous. Now for something that is not so hard. 
Rosie, dear, look at kitty's eyes. Are they like 
mine ? " 

" No, ma'am," said Rose. " You have a round o in 
your eyes, but kitty has a I." 

The children laughed, but Grace replied : " That 
is a bright little girl. Kitty's eyes are not like ours. 

29 



THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica. 



It is the strong light which draws the " o " up into a 
figure one in kitty's eyes. At night the one expands 
into an o. Now you see why kitty can see better in 
the dark than in the strong hght." 

" How funny ! " exclaimed the children. 

" It is wisdom," said Grace, " for the retina of the 
cat's eye is so very sensitive that it would be irritated 
by the rays of light had it not the power of contract- 
ing. In darkness it expands so that as many rays 
may pass as possible ; therefore is it that kitty seeks 
her prey chiefly at night." 

" How is it with the eyes of the more powerful of the 
cat tribe, such as the lion ? As he seeks his prey by 
night, I suppose the formation of his eyes are the 
same as in cats," said the children's mother. 

" They possess the power of contracting and ex- 
panding, but the pupil is always circular. Cats and 
hares I believe, are the only animals whose pupils 
contract into an up and down line, though in horses, 
oxen and a few others it forms a transverse bar, that 
is, a bar across." 

" I am going to notice the eyes of everything I find 
after this," said Frank. 

" That is the best way to' be certain," said Grace. 

30 



THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica, 

" And now, Rose, what do you suppose kitty's whis- 
kers are for ? " 

Rose looked puzzled. 

" Let me tell you ; when all of kitty's whiskers are 
extended, they equal, from point to point, the width 
of her body, and then when stealing through a hole or 
any kind of covert though the light may be ever so 
imperfect, these whiskers, through the nicest feeling, 
point out the slightest thing in the way. With her 
whiskers she is enabled to approach noiselessly upon 
her unsuspecting prey. But shave kitty and she 
would lose lier fine sense of feeling and tumble 
around as clumsy as the clumsiest. Now look at 
kitty's claws and tell me why she keeps them folded 
v/hen she walks ? " 

" So her hooks won't stick fast in the carpet, I 
dess," said Rose. 

" And so they won't grow dull," smiled Grace ; 
" for pussy needs to have them very sharp, as they 
are her principal weapons of defense." 

" Cousin Grace," said Frank, " I have stroked a 
cat's back when fire came out. How was it ? " 

" The fur of the cat is generally so clean and dry, 
that it readily throws out electric sparks when stroked 

31 



THE FIRST . SUBJECT — Felis-domesticd, 

in a dark room. That is what is called Frictional 
Electricity, — you will know all about it some day when 
you study natural philosophy. Kitty is very particular 
to keep herself clean, using her tongue both as a 
bath, sponge and a towel. As she cannot reach the 
top of her head or her ears with her tongue, she just 
wets a paw and then rubs it on all places which can 
not be reached by her tongue." 

" Are cats deceitful ? " asked Frank. 

" They have such a name. It is said they can 
charm a bird as well as a snake can. I don't think 
they have so much attachment for our persons as do 
dogs. Still some who have owned pet cats deny this 
vehemently. But they do love the habitations of 
men. Their organ of locality seems more fully de- 
veloped than that of any other animal. I remember 
that I owned a cat once that seemed remarkable for 
nothing but theft. She not only preyed upon us, but, 
also, upon our nearest neighbor. This neighbor be- 
came tired of the cat's depredations, and, one day, 
being about to go several miles on a visit, tied puss 
up in a stout canvass bag and carried her eight miles 
before untying the bag and giving her her liberty, 
and then it was in a dense growth of wood. Some 




A Happy Family. 



THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica. 



two weeks later, as I was sitting out on the back 
door-step, who should walk up but kitty, and rub her 
soft fur against my dress. I could scarcely believe 
my own eyes. Puss was a great pet for a long time 
after that. Then, again, she disappeared, and as the 
weeks and months flew by ^without one word as to 
kitty's whereabouts, we never expected to see her 
again. I do think she was away some four months, 
when, one day, we heard a sicratch at the door, and, 
on opening it, w^ho should we see but old puss, and 
with her, six kittens. And, if we weren't surprised 
then we never were again." 

The children laughed heartily. 

" Cats can always be trained to be kind and affec- 
tionate, too, but they must be well fed," spoke up 
Mrs. Ellerton. " And if they are taken soon enough 
they can be taught to make companions of even birds 
and mice. That seems very strange, does it not } 
But I went to visit a place once where I saw a cat, 
two white mice, a rat and several birds all together. 
The rat was making a cushion of pussy's back, and a 
bird singing away perched right on kitty's head." 

" That was wonderful," said Grace. 

" Is kitty a native of America } " asked Frank, 
thoughtfully. 

35 



THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica, 

" I am glad you asked that question. It proves 
I've waked you up. No ; pussy is originally from the 
forests of Europe. It is believed they were first do- 
mesticated in Egypt." 

" You don't mean to say that all cats were wild 
once like the wild cat ? ',' exclaimed Frank. 

" I most assuredly do." 

" Do wild cats look just like our cats ? " asked 
May, looking down distrustfully upon the kitten in 
her lap as if thinking seriously of putting it down. 

"In the wild state they have a flatter and larger 
head, stronger limbs, shorter tail. Taking them into 
our homes and domesticating them sort of refines 
them both mentally and physically, aud they grow 
more comely and graceful." 

" Cousin Grace, Fanny Frost has a beautiful blue- 
grey cat that she calls a Maltese. It seems to be a 
different creature from my cat." 

" Well ; there are a great many varieties of domes- 
tic cats. The Maltese comes from the island of 
Malta, or Melita. You remember that was the island 
on which the Apostle Paul was wrecked. Then 
there are the black, yellow and white cats, called the 
Tortoise-shell. This kind is of Spanish origin. 

36 




Old Puss and Her Six Kittens. 



THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica. 



They were brought over to this country by some of 
our earhest settlers, perhaps on Columbus' ships. 
Then there is the Persian cat, with very long fur on 
its neck and tail. But, to my mind, the most beauti- 
ful of all the domestic cats is the Angora. She has 
long silken hair of silvery whiteness, and comes from 
Angora in Turkey of Asia Minor. The Apostle 
Paul was also connected with this place ; for here he 
preached to the Galatians. 

" I once read a beautiful description of an Angora 
cat. A gentleman named M. Sonnini, while in 
Egypt, had an Angora cat in his possession for sev- 
eral years. This cat was entirely covered with long, 
silken hairs of dazzling whiteness, her tail forming a 
magnificent plume, which she could elevate at pleas- 
ure over her body. Her nose and lips were of a 
delicate rose color. Her eyes were large, round and 
sparkling, one of them being a light yellow in color 
and the other a fine light blue. 

" This cat was lovely in its manners and graceful 
in its movements. She was so gentle as never to try 
to resent an injury. She was very much attached to 
M. Sonnini, following him in his walks, and often ca- 
ressing him, no matter if he was too much engaged 



THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica. 

to pay her any attention. When he was absent she 
would call for him continually until he returned. In 
her sickness M. Sonnini remained beside her all the 
time, and when she drew her last faint breath, M. 
Sonnini's heart was filled with sorrow." 

Little Rose took her mamma's face between both 
little hands and looked her coaxingly in the eyes : 
" Mamma, won't you buyed me a 'gora cat." 

" If I ever come across one, it certainly will be a. 
great temptation after what Cousin Grace has told 
us," said mamma. 

" There are a number of large, powerful animals 
belonging to the cat tribe ; but I will not tell you 
their names now, for we shall probably take them all 
up in the course of our lessons, and I wish to see if 
you are not able to designate them yourselves. Now, 
suppose we run up what you have learned to-day." 

Frank began eagerly : 

" Cats are known in zoology as vertebrates, because 
they have a spinal cord ; of the class mammals be- 
cause they nurse their young — " here Frank paused.. 

" Megastheiies',' quickly spoke up May, " because 
cats belong to the larger and stronger animals ; and 
carniverous because they are flesh-eating." 

40 



THE FIRST SUBJECT — FeUs-domestua. 

Here, as both paused, Grace added, " and of the 
genus felis, the Latin word for cat ; species, Felis-do- 
mestica, domestic cat. Write the classifications down 
on your papers, and then we are done for to-day," 
and Grace smiled approvingly upon each one of her 
little pupils, for she was very well satisfied with the 
ability they had displayed in this their first lesson. 




CHAPTER III, 



THE SECOND LESSON — Canis-famUiaris, 



" Did you ever ? " cried May Ellerton, as she came 
down the second morning. " It is raining yet ! " 

" You don't look quite so blue about it as you did 
yesterday," said her mother. 

" No, for I know Cousin Grace will make it all 
right." 

" All here } " asked Grace. 

" I is," said little Rose, stepping forward and hold- 
ing up her lips to be kissed. 

42 




Dogs and Dogs. 



THE SECOND LESSON — C anis-famiUaris , 

" And here comes Frank, Well, shall we talk 
about Frank's dog or May's hen ? " 

" About biddy," said May. 

" Then we'll have to go out in the rain," said 
Frank ; " for who ever heard of a old hen coming 
into the house ? Take Prince, he's splendid, and 
will mind every word we say to him. We can bring 
hi77t into the house." 

" Let us have Prince up then," said Grace ; and 
Frank went out to return proudly with his especial 
property. 

" He's just as smart as he can be, Cousin Grace," 
said Frank, patting the dog on his head who stood 
wagging his tail at his master's feet. 

" I haven't a doubt of it," said Grace. 

•* I guess you'd say so if you know what he did last 
summer. You know Prince was grandpa's dog, and 
when May and I were there last summer Prince made 
friends of us right away. The very first day we were 
there I ran about so much that my feet swelled so 
that I couldn't get my boots off. 

" Prince sat on the carpet watching me, panting 
too ; but when I gave it up, off he trotted, and re- 
turned with the boot-jack, which he laid at my feet. 

45 



THE SECOND LESSON — Caiiis-famUiaris. 



Wasn't that cunning ? I thought so much of him after 
that, and he was so fond of me, too, grandpa made me 
a present of him when I came away ; and he has been 
just as faithful to me ever since as lie can be." 

" Well," said Grace, " let us compare him with 
pussy and discover in what ways they resemble each 
other and in what they are unlike." 

" He has a backbone like the cat, so lie inust be- 
long to the vertebj^'ates^' said Frank. 

Then little Rose astonished them all by saying: 
" And he's a mamjnal I dess, 'tause he gives his little 
dogs milk — I sawed him at Cousin Tommy's. They 
was all in a big basket, one big dog wiv his tongue 
out, and free cunnin' little bits of dogs, and Cousin 
Tommy let me hold one of the little dogs, didn't he, 
F'ank 1 And Cousin Tommy's dot a duck, a little 
white chicken and two white wabbits. I sawed 'em 
all." 

Grace hugged her tiny pupil ;ind kissed her many 
times, " because," she said, " that such a very little 
girl should tell to what class dogs belonged, all her- 
self.? " 

" And they are carniverous^' said May, " because 
flesh-eating." 

46 



it JK 




What Rose Saav at Cousin Tommy*s. 



THE SECOND LESSON — Cants-fainiltaris. 

" Yes," said Grace, " in those three respects they 
are like the cat. Now let us examine Prince's teeth 
and see if they are like pussy's." 

" You didn't say anything about kitty's teeth yes- 
terday," said May. 

" No, because, as a general thing, cats don't like to 
show their teeth ; but Prince won't care. I will first 
tell you what kind of teeth cats have, and then you 
can see for yourselves if dogs are like them. The 
cat has six front teeth in each jaw, and one canine 
tooth on each side in both jaws. They are all cut- 
ting teeth, and those at the sides are longer than the 
middle ones." 

" Well, Prince has twenty teeth in the upper jaw 
and twenty-two in the lower jaw," said Frank ; while 
May and Rose crowded to look in Prince's mouth 
for themselves. 

" The cat hasn't so many back teeth, or grinders. 
That is all the difference. Linnoeus has divided 
Mammiferous animals into seven orders, arranged 
principally according to their teeth. He classes dogs 
and cats bcth under the same order, called Ferce. 
He also says that ' the Ferce have generally six front 
teeth in each jaw ; and one canine tooth on each 

49 



THE SECOND LESSON — Canis-famiUaris, 

side, in both jaws. Dogs, cats, bears, seals, moles, 
weasels, otters, kangaroos, shrews and urchins belong 
to this class. So far, dogs and cats seem to be alike. 
But now look sharply and you soon will note the dif- 
ferences. In the first place dogs' tongues are smooth 
and not prickly like those of cats." 

" His eyes ain't like kitty's," said Rose. 

" No, because it isn't necessary for him to see any 
better by night than by day," said Grace. 

" His paws are not like ' the cat's, either," said 
Frank. " He doesn't fold them up when he walks." 

" No, it doesn't matter how dull the dogs' claws 
become, since he never uses them in self-defence. 
His teeth and jaws are all the weapons he needs, 
they are so powerful. Of all the animals the dog 
seems to be man's greatest friend. He is devoted to 
his master, defends his property and remains attached 
to him until his death. He seems to love man with 
a sort of worship we can not understand. Numerous 
instances are known where a dog has laid down his 
life for his master and his master's property." 

" Cousin Grace, are there any wild dogs } " asked 
Frank. 

" Why, if you include wolves, foxes and jackals, 

50 



THE SECOND LESSON — Cauis-famiUaris. 

there are plenty, for these animals all belong to the 
dog-tribe. Indeed, some naturalists say our dogs are 
domesticated wolves and jackals. It seems that the 
most distinguishing physical mark between the dog 
and the wolf and jackal is the dog's recurved tail. A 
very little difference it seems, doesn't it 1 Some- 
times, dogs have been lost and gone back to a wild 
state ; but they never seemed to really change back 
into wolves and jackals. The dogs owned by savages, 
it is said, resemble the wolf in the shape of his head, 
in his straight, pricked ears, long, bushy tail, and 
rough, thick hair; and, moreover, instead of barking, 
they howl like a wolf or jackal ; yet, it is said they 
are plainly distinct from both, and are called wild 
dogs. Of the Canis-familiaris, as Linnoeus calls our 
dogs, there are a great many varieties. You have 
all heard about the Esquimaux dogs, how they draw 
heavily ladened sledges over the snow, at the rate of 
eight miles an hour ? " 

" I have," said Frank. 

" It is said that they present the first traces of a 
change from the wild type. Their legs are more 
sure. They are more steady and rapid, yet they prove 
their close relationship to the wolf in not being able 

51 



THE SECOND LESSON — Canis-famzliaris, 

to bark. The Newfoundland dogs come next. They 
are fond of the water, like to fetch and carry, thus 
having saved many precious lives from drowning. 
Very closely allied to the Newfoundland dog is the" 
Mount St. Bernard spaniel. It goes out into the 
snow and seeks exhausted travellers, tearing away 
the snow, and then rushing home to its master for 
assistance. 

" From the form of the head, the spaniel and its 
varieties, the wolf dog, the shepherd's dog, the New- 
foundland and Mount St. Bernard and the Esquimaux 
dogs are classed in one family called Sag-aces, because 
they are so wise and sagacious. Write that down on 
your papers. The mastiff and its varieties, the Dan- 
ish dog and the bull dog are Pugnaces, because they 
love to fight. Then the hounds, pointers and terriers 
belong to the family Venantes, because they love 
hunting." 

" To what family do the poodles belong?" asked 
Frank. 

" They are the weakest of the family Venantes. It 
is said that the little pet-dogs are striking instances 
of the power which man has over nature They have 
become so subject to man's disposition that they have 

52 



THE SECOND LESSON — Canis-famiUaris. 

forgotten all their previous likings and settled down 
as creatures of their master's will. How many differ- 
ent kind of dogs can you mention, Frank ? " 

" O, ever so many. There are the common dogs, 
the spaniel, the hunting hound, the blood-hound, the 
bull dog, the Newfoundland dog, the mastiff, the ter- 
rier, the shepherd's dog, the fox-hound, the little grey- 
hound, the pointer, and I don't know how many more," 
exclaimed Frank, out of breath. 

" Cousin Grace, I have seen a long, smooth dog 
spotted all over. I have seen them running under 
peddler's wagons," said May, " what kind of dogs are 
they ? " 

" Their proper name is the Dalmatian dog. Some 
call them coach dogs because they are so fond of be- 
ing near carriages." 

" What are they called Dalmatian for } " asked 
May. 

" Because they are natives of Dalmatia, a group of 
islands along the Adriatic sea." 

" Were dogs brought over to this country the same 
as cats ? " 

" Dogs are found natives in all countries ; and I 
think the Newfoundland, a native of our own country, 

53 



THE SECOND LESSON — Canis-familiaris. 

the favorite specimen of all the race ; especially when 
I think of all the noble deeds he has performed. He 
has been known to return good for evil, time and time 
again. There is a true story of a Newfoundland dog 
which I think you will like very much. The dog's 
name was Lion, and when he was chained fast to his 
kennel he had a great tormentor in the shape of a 
neighbor's cat. When he was sleeping before his 
house, this cat would pounce down from the roof of a 
stable above and steal his food and then scamper 
away before Lion could regain his feet. When the 
dog was unchained the cat took good care to keep 
out of his reach. One day as Lion was walking out 
with his master, he saw his persecutor floating in a 
small stream of water. He plunged into the water 
without a word of bidding and soon returned holding 
kitty very carefully between his teeth. Instead of 
laying it at his master's feet, he trotted to the cat's 
home, and running up the steps with it, laid it at the 
street-door. He then gave two or three sharp barks 
to call out the cat's mistress. She came to find the 
dead body of Tabby lying on the top step, while Lion 
stood by wagging his tail, pleased with doing a good 
act, no doubt." 

54 




King and Tabby. 



THE SECOND LESSON — Canis-fa7niliaris. 



" He was a dood dog," said little Rose. 

" Cousin Grace, I saw a Mexican dog the other 
day. That was what the man called him. He hadn't 
a bit of hair on his body, only right on top of his 
head and at the end of his tail there were a very few. 
His hide looked like an elephant's and was all scratched 
up where other dogs had sprung upon him because 
they thought him such an oddity." 

" I never saw a Mexican dog," said Grace. 

" I saw two nice dogs once," said May. " They 
looked like brothers and loved each other dearly. 
One's name was Diamond and the other Pearl. There 
were two little brothers that owned the dogs. One 
boy's name was Dan and the other Jim." 

" O, I know who you mean ! " exclaimed Frank, 
" Dan and Jim Dawson. 

" Well, I was there once," continued May, " when 
Jim and Pearl had been away for two months. Dan 
was awful glad when Jim came home, so was Dia- 
mond glad to see PearL You ought to have seen 
Diamond ! He gave a little joyful bark and ran down 
the walk to meet his old playmate, and what did he 
do but spring up and lap Pearl right on the neck^ 
just as if he was kissing him." 

57 



THE SECOND LESSON — Canis-familiaris, 

"I guess dogs are the most affectionate of all the 
animals," said Frank. 

" They have shown the most affection for man, that 
is positive," said Grace. " I well remember a large 
dog that one of my father's parishioners once possessed. 
I do think he was the kindest animal I ever met. 
When anyone came to the house he would run to 
meet them and hold up a paw to shake hands. His 
master had a beautiful colt that died when it was a 
year old, and it was dragged away off to a wood. 
Bounce w^atched the proceedings with seemingly 
much solemnity, nor would he leave the dead body 
until he was compelled by hunger to return to the 
house. He had been home but a short time when 
the whole sky off in the direction of the wood became 
black with turkey-buzzards. Bounce pricked up his 
ears and barked furiously, but being unable to get 
any one interested in the colt's fate, he rushed back 
to the wood and drove all the buzzards away. In 
this way he kept guard over the poor colt's body 
until its bones were bleaching in the sun. Indeed, I 
could not help crying over his tender faithfulness. 
Bounce deserved a gold medal if he only could have 
appreciated it, don't you think so ? " 




Diamond and Pearl. 



THE SECOND LESSON — Canis-famUiaris. 

The children assented with one voice. 

" Now," said Grace — 

" Please, cousin," interrupted Frank, " I want to 
ask how long dogs live ? " 

" From fifteen to twenty years — but seldom so long. 
They are born with their eyes shut, the same as kit- 
tens. About the tenth day they get them open, and 
reach their full growth at the close of the second 
year. It is said that if brandy be given to puppies 
they will never attain perfect growth, but remain in a 
dwarfed state. I knew a little boy that tried this ex- 
periment on two baby dogs, and he succeeded just so 
far as to kill them, no farther. It is very wicked to 
make any such unnatural experiments. Now let us 
see what we have learned about dogs." 

Frank and May began in concert : " Dogs belong 
to the branch Vertebrata ; class — Mammalia ; order 
— Carniverous^ Megasthenes, belonging to the larger 
and more powerful animals. Genus — Canis, the Latin 
word for dog. Species — Canis-familiarisr 

" I guess somebody has been studying up our to- 
day's subject," said Grace, smiling approvingly. 

" Frank and I were hunting in a book about dogs 
last evening, and we committed those last words to 

61 



THE SECOND LESSON — Canis-famtltarts, 

memory so that we might not have so much trouble 
when we took ap dogs for our subject," confessed 
May. 

" Very good. Now, can you tell me to what family 
of the canis-familiaris Frank's dog belongs 1 " 

" He is a spaniel, I know," answered Frank, paus- 
ing a moment to think. " Why, he belongs to the 
sagaces because he is so intelligent." 

" That is right. Now, May, can you give me a 
specimen of the family Venantes ? " 

" Hounds — and Pugnaces, the bull dog." 

" I was going to ask Rose about the pug-noses," 
said Grace. 

" Pug-noses ? " said Rose, " I fought you said pug- 
faces." 

" I was only going to call \}i\^Ti\ pug-noses so that 
you would remember them better," laughed Grace. 
" Anyway the pugnaces can easily be distinguished 
from the shortness of their noses and jaws." 

" I dess I'll know 2^ pugnace then when I see him," 
said Rose, laughing gleefully. 

Thus ended the second lesson. 



62 




CHAPTER IV. 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



Very early the next morning Baby Rose, in her 
long, white nightgown, her little feet bare, stood 
before the window, her tiny pink nose flattened 
against the window-pane. 

" What doing up so early, dear ? " asked May, 
drowsily. 

" 'Tause I ain't one bit sleepy ; and 'tause I want 
to see if it's waining." 



65 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



" Course it isn't. It cleared off last night before 
we went to bed." 

" I fought maybe it was only makin' b'lieve ; but, 
O, May ! it is all goldy off there — the sun is gettin' 
up, I know. L'es dess and do down, and tell 
Cousin Grace." 

Grace was as glad as the children to see a bright, 
clear morning, but said, as long as the air was a 
little chilly, they had better postpone their walk 
until after breakfast. 

" Where shall we go, Cousin Grace } " asked 
Frank. 

" You shall say," said his cousin, " since boys are 
supposed to know more about their surrounding 
neighborhood than women and girls." 

" I know where there is a nice little creek, and 
lots of pretty green trees all along the sides, but it 
is two miles, and Rose can't walk so far. If we go, 
we will have to ride in the street-cars. They go 
nearly all the way." 

*' That will be nice," said Grace. 

" And this will be nice," said Mrs. Ellerton, put- 
ting up a substantial lunch in a little willow basket. 

The party were soon in the street-cars, and the 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



children with their knees upon the cushions, look- 
ing out of the windows. 

An old lady patted Rose's red cheeks, and asked 
her where she was going. 

" Doin' to take a wonder-walk," said Rose, moving 
closer to Grace, and laying one cheek bashfully on 
her shoulder. 

" A wonder-walk ! " said the old lady. " What 
is that } " 

" O you finds lots of won'ful and pretty fings, 
and have a dood Tousin Grace to tell you all 
about em." 

After leaving the car, Frank led the way to a 
mossy seat, which Grace and May were only too 
glad to take possession of, at the same time plying 
their fans vigorously ; but Frank lay down on the 
bank of the little creek, and began dabbling in the 
water, while Rose flitted in and out under the trees, 
seeking wonders for herself. 

Presently, she came running back to Grace and 
May, exclaiming eagerly: ' 

" There's tunnin' little squirrels out here — 'tause 
I saw one. It had black eyes, and a long brush 
he hoisted over his back. He runned up the tree 

67 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



fast as he could when he sawed me, and then peeped 
down to see if I was lookin','' and she laughed glee- 
fully at the remembrance. 

" How do you know it was a squirrel } '' asked 
Grace. 

" O, I know'd 'tause it's in my picture-book." 

" Sit in my lap, Rosie, dear, and hear this story. 

"Once upon a time two pretty, graceful little 
creatures with the blackest of black eyes, and carry- 
ing their soft, fine brushes over their backs — just 
such little creatures as Rosie saw to-day out in the 
orchard — were seeking around for a home. They 
explored one tree after another, but it took con- 
siderable time for them to find one suitable to all 
their wants. At last they found a fork in a tree, just 
a little decayed, so they could dig a nice little hollow. 
Then they brought sticks, moss and dried leaves 
and wove them together so stoutly that the hardest 
winds and rains could not move them. Then they 
built it up on all sides, just leaving a tiny hole at 
the top for a door ; this opening just large enough 
to admit their bodies." 

" Did they have a door that would open an' s'ut ? "" 
asked Rose. 




Flying Squirrels at Home. 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



" No, but they did have something Hke a Kttle 
umbrella hoisted over their door, only a great deal 
stouter, so thick and strong no rain could drip 
through, though it tried ever so much. When their 
house was finished, it was roomy, warm and com- 
fortable. Then they hunted for some cunning little 
hollow places in the trees, close to their house, to 
use as cupboards. Then the little things busied 
themselves for several days in filling their tiny 
pantries with nuts and acorns — not to eat so long 
as they could pick up their living in the woods — 
but for times of scarcity, prudent little squirrel-peo- 
ple that they were. When all the cupboards were 
filled, they dug places in the ground close to the 
roots of the trees as little cellars ; and when these 
were full then they seemed to know they were safe 
from want for the long winter, I saw a great num- 
ber of chestnuts that were dug out of one of these 
cellars early in the spring. Every one was sprouted, 
and a little boy who tried to feast on them threw 
them away in a hurry. 

" Sometimes, from various causes, a number con- 
clude to emigrate, and they begin their journey, 
traveling right over tree-tops as far as the trees are 

71 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



close enough together for them to leap from one to 
another. When it is necessary to cross a stream of 
water, they find a piece of pine or birch bark, leap 
upon it, and consign themselves to the mercy of the 
waves, erecting their tails as a sort of rudder. 
If a storm comes, they are usually overturned and 
drown. Sometimes they migrate in such vast num- 
bers that not one of them may be seen for a whole 
winter in localities populous with them the year 
before. They belong to the Rode^ttia, an order of 
mammiferous quadrupeds, and to the family SciuridcB. 
There are a great many species of squirrels, fifty 
of which belong to North America." 

" I. wonder if there are flying squirrels around 
here ? " said Frank. 

" Do squirrels ever have wings ? " asked May, in 
surprise. 

" No, but some of them have a hairy membrane 
extending from the tail and hind legs to the fore 
legs. When the squirrel is at rest the skin is 
wrinkled up at the sides, but when it wants to fly 
it stretches out this membrane and away it goes, 
not straight as though it had wings like a bird, but 
more like a paper-kite; and Frank, since they only 

72 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



make their appearance at night, we shall not be apt 
to see them. They sleep in hollow trees during the 
day. They dislike the ground, and if tamed will 
run up a person's sleeve, or jump into his pocket, 
rather than stay one moment upon the ground." 

" Did you ever see them at night ? " asked Frank. 

" Yes ; I have seen them at home among the trees, 
at night, when I have been out with my father. 
They would fly from one limb to another, and from 
tree to tree, alighting upon the ground, occasionally, 
for a moment or so, but not often. They often had 
three or four little ones in their nests, and are very 
much like other squirrels in every respect, and belong 
to the same family. The prairie dog also belongs 
to the same order and family," 

" Why, I thought they were real dogs ! " said 
Frank. 

" They got the name, not because they look at 
all like dogs, but because they bark something 
like them when alarmed. They are found on 
prairies west of the Mississippi River. I visited one 
of their communities with my father. It was com- 
posed of thousands of hillocks, and when we drew 
near the town we found some of these funny dogs 

73 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



stationed on top of the hillocks, and others gam- 
boling around. The watching dogs really were 
sentinels, and, at our approach, there was a quick 
yelp, and then everywhere tiny feet twinkled in the 
air ; and the next moment the busy town seemed 
utterly forsaken and desolate. 

" How does the prairie dog look.?" asked May. 

" It is about sixteen inches in length ; the upper 
part of its body is a sort of dirty red, tipped with 
a few gray and black hairs, the under part a dirty 
white ; the whiskers long and black. The rattle- 
snake and the owl seem to share the prairie dog's 
underground home — the owl, probably, because the 
darkness suits her, and from her wish to hide away 
from the enmity of other birds, but the rattlesnake 
follows her even there, and, no doubt, feeds both 
on her young, and that of the dogs." 

At this moment a rabbit crossed their path, evi- 
dently in great fear. 

" Poor little thing ! " exclaimed Grace, pityingly. 

At that moment a terrific whoop was heard, and 
the little rabbit, overwhelmed with fear, stopped 
motionless as stone, and the next instant a farmer's 
hired man sprang forward and picked it up. 

74 




A Prairie Dog's Home. 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



" Why ! if ever I sav/ anything Hke that," said 
Grace, hastening forward. 

The man laughed. 

" He's most skeered to death, sure. Just put 
your hand on his heart. Miss." 

When Grace felt the wild, quick throbbing of the 
little thing's heart, tears came into her eyes, and she 
asked its liberty. 

" Sure, Miss, and I'd like to oblige you, but my 
wife is uncommonly fond of stewed rabbit." 

" O, you won't kill it — the dear little wabbit ! " 
exclaimed Rose, indignantly. 

" I will give you fifty cents if you'll let me have 
it," said Grace. 

The man took the money gladly and walked off. 

Grace and the children stroked and caressed the 
little thing, until its eyes wore a softer look, and then 
they let it go. It ran for a moment, then stopped, 
tremblingly; then again darted forward, and this 
time went on, disappearing down a hole into its home. 

" Rabbits live in the ground. We have found 
that much out," said May. 

" Do they belong to the same family as the 
squirrels ? " asked Frank. 

77 



DOWN BY THE CREEK, 



" No, their family is the Leporidce, from the Latin 
word, Lepus — hare. They live wholly on vegeta- 
ble food, and are the most timid of all creatures. 
They are partial to sandy hillocks, because light soil 
is so much more easy to burrow. The grey rabbit 
is the most common to America. 

" Rabbits as white as snow originated in extreme 
northern latitudes. I knew a person, however, who 
had a pair of snow-white rabbits. They escaped 
and burrowed the ground in the carriage-yard, and 
soon, strange as it may seem, the farm seemed 
overrun, not only with white rabbits, but with black 
ones, and yellow ones, and black-and-white, and 
yellow-and-white. They soon became such a nui- 
sance in stripping bark from trees that the farm- 
people were glad to shoot and eat them. 

" When I was a little girl I knew an old mother- 
rabbit who raised several families of children. When 
I first became acquainted with her, she was feeding 
on a grassy knoll with two of her rabbitkins. What 
had become of the the rest of the family, I never 
knew. These two, also, soon left her, and a few 
days afterwards she was missing. Searching around 
where I had seen her so much, I found a hole. Very 

78 




Mrs. Rabbit and Her Babbitkins. 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



carefully I followed this up in a zig-zag direction 
with a sharp-pointed trowel until I came to a large, 
commodious, underground room, carpeted with a 
quantity of soft hair she had actually pulled from 
her own body. There I found eight wee blind naked 
baby-rabbits. The mother-rabbit will scarcely leave 
them for the two first days, and then, so the story 
goes, she has to hide them from papa-rabbit, who, per- 
haps disgusted with such forlorn-looking creatures, 
thinks the best thing he can do is to eat them up 
out of their helplessness ! The mother even keeps 
their nest a secret, by covering up the hole every 
time she goes out, until the little rabbits are a month 
old. Then she takes them to the mouth of the hole 
and brings them vegetables to eat. When papa- 
rabbit sees them, he is glad, and draws them beneath 
his paws, strokes their fur, and tries to show how 
very much he cares for them ! 

" As rabbits cannot articulate sounds, they have 
a way of thumping on the ground with their hind 
feet to announce danger to other rabbits under 
the surface. 

" The march of improvement once brought its 
ties and laid three or four railroad tracks over a 

81 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



henceforth barren waste of ground that had served 
for centuries as a home for these feeble folks in 
the woods. A mother-rabbit was in her home with 
her newly-born babies, when a locomotive went 
thundering over the ground, making poor Bunny 
quake with terror, and crouch closer to her little 
ones. But, as the sounds were heard again and 
again, and still unfollowed by danger, Bunny deter- 
mined she would explore, and bring her little ones 
something to eat. Who can tell the terror she felt, 
when, for the first time, she beheld the snorting 
fire-horse ! With just strength enough to tumble 
into her hole she lay at the bottom, jDanting for 
breath; but her little ones were growing, and they 
must be taken out and introduced to the world ; 
so she brought them to the surface with their little 
heads and ears just in sight, while she sat upon her 
haunches and looked and listened. If there was 
no sight or sound of danger, then she ventured out 
with her little ones to gambol in the moonlight." 

" Fd like to hear about a rat next," said Frank. 

" No, let us have another story," said May. 

" Suppose I gratify you both. One time a large, 
brown rat — " 




An Invaded Home. 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



" Aren't all rats brown ? " asked Frank. 

" No, the black rat was the primitive one in our 
country, as well as in Europe. The brown rat 
used to belong wholly to Asia, but in 1737, crossing 
the Volga in large troops, it stocked Russia, and 
soon overrun all Europe. The black rat's original 
locality is unknown. He has always been a house- 
rat, and was introduced to America in 1544, though 
for what purpose we cannot conceive — probably 
came over, uninvited, in some ship. The brown 
rats are often called wharf-rats, because, during the 
summer, they reside principally in holes along banks 
of rivers, ponds and ditches, always seeking houses 
and barns for the winter, where they live in the 
walls and under floors. They can burrow very 
deep, throwing up great piles of dirt in their nightly 
work at house-breaking. 

" But to return to my story. 

" The brown rat found his way into the great 
long corridor of a prison one day, and finding some 
wheat-heads upon the floor immediately began to 
make himself at home. After he had feasted to his 
heart's content, he began to think of a hiding-place, 
and at last crept into a prisoner's cell. While he 

85 • 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



was cowering in a corner under the bed, the pris- 
oner came in and shut his door, thus making the rat 
a prisoner, also. In the night the prisoner awakened 
to hear a strange noise in his cell. By the light of 
the moon streaming through the one little window, 
he found the rat. He had a piece of bread in his 
pocket, which he took out and crumbled, flinging it 




to the rat. So he fed her every day, and stroked 
and caressed her, until she would creep upon his 
knee, and sit upon his shoulder. In a short time 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



she made a nest, and had sixteen little baby rats. 
The prisoner opened wide his eyes with astonish- 
ment — he had a few more pets than he bargained 
for. But the mother-rat concluded to help him out 
of his difficulty by devouring her children." 

" O, Cousin Grace, was ever anything so unnat- 
ural ? " asked May, disgusted. 

" I hate wats ! " cried little Rose. 

" They are very destructive, and eat their own 
species right along. If it were not for that, they 
breed so fast, there would be no living with them. 
The black rats have been very plentiful, but in 
every country disappear before their enemies, the 
brown rats. 

Well, at last, the rat, pining for company, no 
doubt, gnawed her way out of the cell, and, O 
joy, why could not the prisoner escape by the same 
means ? How eagerly he thrust his arm down the 
long hole, and measured its depth ! The rat was but 
an animal, and with only his teeth to work with, 
while he was a man with brains and hands. Do you 
blame him if he sought an implement with which 
to dig his way out ? 

" Some prisoners have dug their way out of prison 

87 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



and escaped, but whether our prisoner was baffled 
in his efforts, or really did escape, I never learned, 
but I am of the opinion that he did." 

" I wish you were certain," said May. 

" I ,wish I were," said Grace. " Well, the rat 
belongs to the family Muridcsr 

" How about the mouse, Cousin Grace ; isn't he 
a little rat.^ " asked Frank. 

" No, though he belongs to the same order, the 
same family, and the same genus, yet he is a dif- 
ferent species. Both belong to the genus mus, which 
is but the same word as mouse in another language. 
The species is mus musculus for our common mouse, 
and it is found in almost every country, though it 
is said to have been introduced into America by 
some of our European settlers, — a pet we could do 
without. It makes its home under floors, in walls, 
and so sharp are its tiny teeth, and so small can it 
contract its body, that it is able to eat through any- 
thing wooden, and creep through a very, very small 
hole, so that there is no place in the world sacred 
from its presence ; yet it is a very fearful, timid little 
creature, sitting up on its hind legs and listening 
intently if it hears ever so faint a noise. I have 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



often watched them when they didn't see me, three 
or four in a group. One would be sitting up on 
his haunches, rubbing his fore feet together, another 
tapping its playmates upon the head with a fore-foot. 
It sometimes has happened that the old cat was 
watching too, and then, oh ! — well, she was always 
sure to catch one of the merry creatures. 




" The mouse has a trick of pretending it is dead, 
after all other means of escape have failed. The 
cat understands this dodge, and, in the cruelty of 
her heart, mocks at it. She will strangle it just a 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



little around its neck, and then fling it from her, 
where it lies as if dead. The old cat knows better, 
and is intently watching, though sometimes she will 
walk away and pretend to be indifferent ; but let the 
poor little captive move one muscle and she is upon 
him in a flash. Then she plays with him as if he 
were a ball, flinging him from her and then spring- 
ing upon him, until the little thing is dead with 
fright, if not from wounds; and then mistress cat 
feasts upon her prey, carefully washing herself 
after the meal. Poor little mice ! they have more 
enemies than almost anything else in nature. Cats, 
owls, hawks, snakes, weasels, dogs, rats and men are 
continually destroying them ; still they continue to 
multiply in our houses. They make a nest some- 
thing as a bird does, and you may often find one 
filled with from six to ten little blind, naked, pink-y 
mice. They get their growth in three months. 

" Of all the mouse-tribe, the little mus mussorius, 
or harvest-mouse, is the n^ost dainty. A common 
mouse will weigh just six times more than this, the 
smallest of all quadrupeds. It is a smaller species 
of the common ground or field mouse. It mea- 
sures little more than two inches, has the softest, 

90 




The Harvest Mouse. 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



downiest, reddish-brown fur on its back, while its 
vest and stockings are white. Its eyes are dark. 
But the most wonderful thing is its mysterious nest. 
Round as a tiny ball, it is woven in among the stalks 
of wheat, and how the little mice get in and out, or 
how their mamma ever gets to them, often puzzles 
one, for the walls on all sides seem intact, and so 
solid is it that it may be rolled about upon the table 
without becoming disarranged. Eight little mice 
fill the nest full, and where the mother finds room is 
another mystery ! Some naturalists say that there 
is a door just below the middle of the nest, and that 
at the mother-mouse's pressure against it, it opens, 
immediately closing after her. Another says that 
the mother gnaws little holes in the sides of the 
nest just large enough for her hungry little ones 
to take turns in nursing, and then rearranges the 
walls after they are through; but neither may be 
correct." 

" I know Pat Ryan could find out," said Frank. 

" Cousin Grace, do tell us something about the 
bat," said Mary. " Last evening while PVank and 
I were returning from the village in the moonlight, 
we saw an awful \yi% bat, and I thought it was a bird, 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



something like a swallow, but Frank said it was a 
quadruped, and resembled a mouse. Now, cousin, 
which was right ? " 

" Naturalists were at a loss for a long time to 
know whether to class it among the birds or quad- 
rupeds. Its powers of flight, with its feeding upon 
insects, like the swallows, made them think it was 




a bird ; but its form without the wings, and the fact 
that it nursed its little ones, made them think it was 
a sort of mouse with wings — a quadruped. At 
last they concluded to class it in a family by itself, 



94 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



which they did under the name of Cheiroptera, from 
the Greek words cheir, the hand, and pteron, a wing. 
They form an order of mammaHa, known by having 
its legs, and especially its hands (the fingers being 
lengthened and connected by a thin membrane), 
so arranged as to serve the purpose of wings. You 
can tame them like a mouse or rat, and they will 
learn to eat flies from the hand. During the day- 
time they are fond of clinging to old walls, flying 
about at night for their food. During the winter 
they remain in a torpid state under the roofs of 
churches and houses, and in old hollow trees. They 
seem particularly fond of old ruins. Instead of 
m.aking a nest for their young, they drop into any 
hole they can find, and, by clinging to the sides with 
their hooked wings, they allow the little bats to nurse 
for two days; then, becoming hungry, they disen- 
gage the little fellows, and sally forth in quest of 
food. 

" I remember, when a very little girl, that my 
mother unearthed an old bat with three of her 
young ones clinging to her, nor could she seem to 
to see by daylight, but remained stupidly on the 
ground. ' Blind as a bat,' we often hear ; but the 

95 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



bat has eyes, though small ones, for I have seen 
them myself. But, it is said, if their eyes are cov- 
ered, they can fly about readily, their ears being so 
formed that their sense of hearing is very acute 
indeed ; but if their ears are closed they will fly 
about in the greatest confusion, striking against 
everything that comes in their way ; but unstop their 
ears, and they are at ease again, avoiding every 
obstacle." 

Wishing to encourage the children in the study 
of Natural History, Mr. Ellerton had a present for 
them when he came home at evening. 

" Now, who can tell me their names ? " he asked, 
as he put the little animals down in a large box, 
which contained plenty of parsley. 

" He's 'bout as bid as a wat," said Rose, puckering 
up her little nose as she stuck it through the slats 
of the box to get a good view of the little strangers, 

" It strokes its head with its fore-feet, and sits 
upon its hind legs like a rabbit," said May. 

" They lie down flat on their stomachs, and turn 
around several times before they can settle them- 
selves, like a dog," said Frank. 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



" And when they fight they kick up behind Hke a 
horse," said Mr. Ellerton. 

" And they must be so cleanly in their habits ! 
See how they smooth and dress their fur," con- 
tinued Grace. " They must be something like a cat." 

" They are white wiv' black spots on em," said 
Rose. 




Wif'l n,,^L 



" They certainly do move around like rabbits," 
said Frank, as the children watched them moving 
along cautiously around the sides of the box, in- 
stead of crossing back and forth. 

97 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



" And they squeal like pigs ! " exclaimed May, 
" and their fur is more like a hog's bristles, though 
very fine, than anything else. They must be little 
pigs." 

" So they are — little Guinea pigs — natives of 
Brazil and other places in South America, taking 
their names from New Guinea. They belong to the 
genus Carta, and to the family Hystricid(^',' said 
Grace. " And now, to pay papa for such a nice 
present, suppose you go over before him a summary 
of what you have learned to-day. Rose first, as the 
others can slip in what she forgets." 

" Little 'quirrels belong to the order Rodentia, 
'tause they gnaw. They are quadrupeds 'tause they 
has four foots, and mammals 'tause their little ones 
likes milk," said Rose. 

" What family ? " 

" Tuirrelidcs, I dess." 

" Sciuridce',' corrected May. 

" The prairie dog belongs to the same order and 
family, so there isn't much to tell about him,' said 
Frank. 

" Rabbits belong to the family Lepuridce'' said 

May, 



DOWN BY THE CREEK. 



"Duinea pigs are rodents, too, and they belong 
to the genus Cavia^' said Rose. 

" And the family Hystricidcs^' said May. 

" The rat belongs to the genus mus, and to the 
family Muridcs'' said Frank, " and the mouse is 
just like the rat, only a different species ; mus 
musculus, I believe you said, is the common mouse, 
but the harvest-mouse is mus messoriusT 

" The bat forms an oi'der by itself, being a mam- 
miferous quadruped, called Cheiroptera, There are 
many species of bats, but no distinct families," said 
May. 

Mr. Ellerton was delighted, and gave each of the 
children a kiss by way of further encouragement. 




CHAPTER V. 



A RACCOON IN CHURCH. 



As if to further the advantages for study, the 
next Saturday Mrs. Ellerton's Aunt Jerusha came 
into the city and insisted on taking Grace and the 
children home with her for a few days. 

" O, Cousin Grace, it's just dehghtful on the 
farm ! Let us go ! " pleaded May. 

" Yes," said Frank, " and it's just the place to 
study natural history." 

100 



A RACCOON IN CHURCH. 



Mrs. Ellerton also favored the invitation, and 
soon they were stowed away in the pretty carriage, 
little Rose and all. 

It was evening of the same day, just a little 
after sunset, when the inmates of Aunt Jerusha's 
household were out in the front portico, with the 
exception of Rose, w^ho was down among the flowers 
and bushes in the front yard. 

Aunt Jerusha was just talking about the child, 
how she was " on the go " from morning until night, 
a little shining sunbeam, when she was interrupted 
by a cry of delight. 

" What's up now ? " said Frank, peering down 
into the yard. 

" Here she comes," said May, " up that long, nar- 
row, winding walk." 

Her little hands were clasped tightly before her, 
and, with her eyes fixed on some object directly 
ahead of her in the path, she was calling : 

" O, Tousin Grace, Fank and May ! look and see 
what a pitty, funny kitty I found ! " And, as a 
strange little creature ran sidling along past the 
portico, she jumped up and down, clapping her 
hands with delieht. 

J 01 



A RACCOON IN CHURCH. 



The little stranger, peering at the people in the 
portico, took refuge up a tree. Its color was grey, 
mixed with brown, its face white, with a dusky stripe 
down the nose, and black patches around the large 
eyes. It was nearly two feet in length, its long, 
bushy, black-and-white striped tail, adding another 
foot to its length. 

" It's a raccoon, as sure as I live," said Uncle 
John. " Now, if it don't beat me where that coon 
came from ! I haven't seen one near these parts for 
many a long day. If that don't beat the mischief ! " 

" O, Uncle Don, won't you tatch it for me, and 
let me take it home to be my kitty ? " asked Rose. 

" Uncle John's legs are too stiff and old to climb 
trees, my little girl," he answered, patting her on 
the head. " The hired men would make quick work 
of it if they were here ; but I am glad they are not, 
for I do like to see such things enjoy their liberty." 

" There's a ' hard man,' now," said Rose, pointing 
around the corner of the house, at a tall, red- 
whiskered man, who, as soon, however, as he saw 
himself observed, beat a hasty retreat. 

" He's Mr. Dumas, your Uncle John's nephew," 
said Aunt Jerusha. 

102 



c ^ 




The Common Rac 



COOON. 



A RACCOON IN CHURCH. 



" Then why don't he come and sit wiv' us in the 
portito ? " asked Rose. 

" I didn't see him at the tea-table," said Grace. 

" No, he's afraid of girls," laughed Uncle John. 
" He has only been with us about three months." 

" A dreat, bid man af'aid of womens and little 
dirls ? He ouo^ht to be 'shamed hisself ! " exclaimed 

o 

Rose, indignantly. 

Aunt Jerusha laughed If Mr. Dumas could only 
hear her! 

" He is a sailor, and is staying with us awhile for 
his health," continued Uncle John, addressing him- 
self to Grace. " He has never been used to ladies' 
society, and it makes him shy. But it is a real treat 
to get acquainted with him. He knows about things 
in different parts of the world, that we home-people 
never heard of." 

" We must manage to get acquainted with him in 
some way, musn't we, Rose ? " said Grace. " A 
traveler is just the one we want, to help us in our 
natural history." 

"Is he 'faid of Aunt 'Rusha.? " asked Rose. 

" No, indeed," laughed Uncle John. 

Little Rose looked more mystified than ever, and 

105 



A RACCOON IN CHURCH. 



being unable to understand anything so unnatural 
she skipped down from the porch, out under the 
tree, where she contented herself by throwing up 
endearing epithets to the little creature above, until 
she was called into, the house to go to bed. 

The next day was Sunday, and morning and 
evening the whole family drove over to the village 
to meeting. 

The pastor was in the midst of his evening ser- 
mon, when he was interrupted by suppressed laugh- 
ter coming from one side of his church. Looking 
down the aisle he beheld a raccoon running towards 
him — up into the pulpit he came, and stood there, 
rubbing its fur against his legs. 

At this instant, little Rose, excited beyond control, 
sprang up on the seat. " O, there's my little coon ! " 
she cried. 

But, alas ! for the little girl's hopes. It soon trans- 
pired that a man who lived in the village, next to the 
parsonage, had a tame raccoon which he had caught 
in a steel-trap several weeks before. The clergy- 
man, being very fond of pets, had fondled the animal 
as though it had been his own, never passing in and 

out of his yard without speaking to it, or giving it 

106 



A RACCOON IN CHURCH. 



something to eat. At last it had run away, and had 
wandered about for two or three days, seeking for 
its home, doubtless, until, hearing the voice of its 
old friend floating out on the still night air, it knew 
no impropriety in seeking him in person, and claim- 
ing his attention by entering the church. 

Of course when the children came to talk about 
animals the next morning they began with the 
raccoon. 

" Where does he live, when wild ? " asked May. 

" In hollow trees," replied Grace. 

" What do they eat ? " asked Frank. 

" Fruit, corn, sugar-cane, shell-fish and oysters." 

" How does he ever catch shell-fish ? " asked May. 

" When he wants crab for dinner, he just turns 
around and drops his tail into the water. The crabs, 
thinking it some kind of food, lay hold, and, as soon 
as the raccoon feels them pinch, he draws them up, 
and devours them. He is particularly fond of 
oysters. He will go down to the shore and wait for 
an oyster to open its shell. Then he thrusts in one 
paw, and scrapes out the contents clean, eating with 
great relish. He has to be quick about it, however, 
for sometimes the oyster shuts his shell with a 

107 



A RACCOON IN CHURCH. 



snap, and there is the poor raccoon fast ; and as 
the oyster is not quick in letting go, the raccoon is 
more than Hkely to be a prisoner until the return 
of tide, when with a jerk he is drowned, unless he 
chooses to hobble away on three legs. He seeks 
his food by night, and sleeps during the greater part 
of the day. He sits upright when he eats, and 
carries food to his mouth with his paws, like the 
squirrels. The raccoon's fur is considered next in 
value to the beaver's, by the hatter. Sometimes, 
too, it is used for linings, and when properly dressed 
can be made into gloves and upper leather for shoes. 
The slaves. South, eat the flesh of the raccoon, and 
they are very fond of it. It belongs to the genus 
Procyon, and to the family UrsidcE, 

'" Why, isn't that the same family to which the 
bear belongs } " asked Frank. 

" Yes, and the badgers and wolverines belong to 
the same. They are all characterized by a stout 
body, pointed muzzle, and a rather long tail." 

Here the conversation was interrupted by Uncle 
John. He had something in his arms about the 
size of a small cat, its color a dingy white, the head 
long and sharp, the tail very long, covered with a 

108 




Virginia Opossum. 



A RACCOON IN CHURCH. 



scaly skin, the legs short and blackish, and the 
toes armed with sharp claws, like individuals of the 
monkey tribe. 

" What is it ? " they all asked. 

" An opossum." 

" Where did you get it ? " asked the children. 

" Down in a deep wood, two miles from here. I 
found it with the end of its tail coiled around a 
small branch of a high tree." 

" Is it dead ? " asked the children. 

" No," laughed Uncle John. " It is only making 
believe. I captured it on purpose for you children 
to see ; and now, to prove it is alive, we will lay it 
down here in the grass, and then hide to see what 
it will do." 

They had not been concealed long, when the 
'possum scrambled to its feet so quickly that Rose 
laughed when it fell over again, and again feigned 
death. 

" Poor creature ! " said Uncle John, taking it up 

in his arms again. " When I found her, there were 

three little ones sporting about her, but when they 

saw me they scampered into their mother's pocket 

which is right here under her stomach." 

Ill 



A RACCOON IN CHURCH. 



" O, Uncle Don ! " exclaimed little Rose. " Tan t 
you toax her to open one of her po'tits, so we tan 
see her 'ittle childrens ? " 

" No, dear ; nobody can do that. I might whip 
her and beat her, or roast her alive, and then she 
wouldn't let one of us see her babies." 

" Poor faithful mother," said Grace, as Uncle John 
walked away with the opossum. 

"Where are her babies born .f* ' asked Frank. 

" Down in the thick bushes, at the foot of some 
tree. With the help of her mate, she collects a 
quantity of fine, dry grass. This is loaded on her 
stomach, and then her mate drags her with her load 
to the nest, by her tail." 

The children laughed, heartily. 

" When the little ones are first born, they are not 
much larger than beans, and immediately retreat 
into her pouch, all naked and blind as they are, and 
fasten themselves as close to their mother as if they 
grew there, in order to nurse. Soon as they get 
their strength, their sight, and their hair, they 
undergo a kind of second birth. After that they 
only run into their mother's ' pocket ' as a refuge in 
time of danger. If they are surprised and have not 

112 



A RACCOON IN CHURCH. 



time to scamper into this ' pocket,' they seize hold 
her tail, and try to escape with her in that manner. 
There is a smaller kind of opossum that has no 
pouch in which to carry her babies, and all the little 
ones scramble upon her back, and twist the end of 




their little tails tightly around hers, as she carries 
it elevated over her back, and in that way they 
travel about with their mother, wherever she goes. 



113 



A RACCOON IN CHURCH. 



Opossums feed on fruit, eggs and insects. They 
belong to the order Marsupiala, and to the family 
Didelphidcer 

"Are the kangaroos related to the opossums .f^" 
asked Frank. . 

" They ^eem to be allied to the opossums in one 
respect, only — in being furnished with the pouch 
in which to carry their young. The kangaroo belongs 
to the order Marsupiala, the sanie as the opossum, 
but to a different family, called Macropodidce. They 
are natives of New Holland, and are very much 
larger than opossums. They have been known to 
measure as many as nine feet from the tip of the 
nose to the end of the tail, and to weigh a hundred 
and fifty pounds. The fore-legs are scarcely ever 
more than nineteen inches in length, while the hinder 
ones are some three feet and a half long. From 
its formation, it is able to leap great distances, say 
twenty feet at a time, and thus eludes the fleetest 
hound. Kano-aroos have g:reat streno;th in their 
tails, using them sometimes as weapons of defence, 
striking heavy blows with them. The female gives 
birth to but one at %. time, and so very small is it as 
to scarcely measure more than an inch in length. 

•114 



A RACCOON IN CHURCH. 



It seeks its mother's pouch in the same manner that 
the opossum's Httle ones do, and pursues the very 
same course afterwards. Kangaroos live in burrows 
under the ground, and subsist on vegetables — chiefly 
•on grass. They feed in herds of thirty or forty, 
generally with one stationed to keep watch for the 
others. There are but three species of kangaroos. 
But, singular as it is, all the Mammalia quadrupeds 
of Australia, of which there are more than a hun- 
dred species, are Marsupial animals — that is, have 
pouches in which to carry their young." 

" I wonder if there are any martens around 
here } " said Frank, suddenly. 

" Not many, now, I guess. Their fur is too 
valuable. They have nearly all been killed. But 
I can tell you about them. They live like 
squirrels among the trees. They are about eigh- 
teen inches long, and of a dark chestnut color on 
their backs. The throat and breast of the common 
marten is white ; those of the pine-marten, yellow. 
I have seen a pine-marten scrambling over a large, 
fallen tree, v/hile one of the little ones was peeping 
from a hole where it was in its nest. The marten 
wall often kill a squirrel, and then take possession 

117 



A RACCOON IN CHURCH. 



of its nest. It then enlarges its stolen home, lines it 
v/ith softer materials, thus making ready for its own 
little ones, of which it has from three to four, but 
who soon become large enough to take care of 
themselves. The marten has only a small amount 
of milk, so brings live birds and eggs to her young, 
in abundance. As soon as the little ones are able 
to leave the nest the mother leads them through 
the woods, where they begin to seek food for them- 
selves. They have a musky smell, which some people 
think very agreeable. There are about twelve thou- 
sand pine-martens' skins imported into England 
from Hudson Bay, and upwards of thirty thousand 
from Canada. Their fur is always shorter, and of 
a lighter color during summer. There is a black 
marten, but its fur is not near so valuable as those 
of the pine and beech-martens. They belong to the 
genus Mustela, and to the family MustelidcB. The 
MMstelid<^ comprise all the martens, sables, weasels, 
fishers, minks, otters, badgers and skunks. Nearly 
all the family have glands which secrete a fetid 
liquid, sometimes of a most disagreeable odor." 
" I suppose there are plenty of weasels around 

here," said Frank. 

lis 




The Black Marten. 



A RACCOON IN CHURCH. 



" No doubt ; and they are of much use in dimin- 
ishing the number of rats and mice ; still the poul- 
try they destroy overbalances everything else." 

" What does a weasel look like ? " asked Frank. 

" It is a long, slender animal, sleek and smooth, 
so constructed as to be able to creep into holes. 
The color of its back is a pale, reddish brown, and 




its breast white. The ears are very sm.all, and the 
eyes black. Though measuring not more than seven 
inches, and not more than two inches and a half high, 

121 



A RACCOON IN CHURCH. 



it is very fierce, and not afraid of animals much 
larger than itself. It lives in holes under the roots, 
of trees, and in the banks of creeks and rivulets,. 
from which it issues near dark to steal into our 
poultry-houses. It is as fond of eggs as of poultry^ 
and eats them by making a small hole at one end^ 
licking out the yolk clean, and leaving the shell 
behind. It has a way of eating into the back of an 
animal's head until it is dead. It is a very active 
little animal, and runs by leaps. The poor little 
rabbits are so afraid of this animal when it attacks 
them, as to be actually crazed with fright, giving 
themselves up without the least resistance, at the 
same time making the most piteous cries. In the 
spring of the year the female makes a bed of straw 
for her new-born little ones. She is very attentive 
to them, and if she fears they ma}^ be stolen she 
will carry them around in her mouth, changing her 
retreat many times. Weasels have sometimes been 
tamed, and proved very amusing companions. The 
method is to stroke them gently on the back, and 
to threaten and whip them if they attempt to bite. 
" The stoat, or ermine, is very much like the 
weaseljn its habits and manner of living. In winter 

122 




The Pine Marten. 



A RACCOON IN CHURCH. 



the soft coat of the stoat turns to snow-white, with 
the exception of its tail, and that is jet black. It is 
called an ermine, and is much hunted for its skin, 
which is used in making costly robes for kings and 
princes. There are very few ladies wealthy enough 
to possess a set of real ermine fur." 

" Isn't the skunk a sort of weasel ? " asked Frank. 

" Yes, it is called the striated weasel." 

*' What does striated mean ? " 

" Marked in lines or stripes. The upper part of 
the skunk's body is striped with black and white. 
The neck and legs are very short. This animal 
is noted for emitting a terribly offensive odor, when 
irritated. Dogs run from it, and can hardly be made 
to attack one, while cattle will bellow dreadfully at 
the offensive smell. Yet it is said that these little 
animals can be tamed." 

" Cousin Grace, is there any difference between 
the skunk and the polecat, or are both names ap- 
plied to the same animal ? " asked Frank. 

" They are often so applied, but wrongly. The 
polecat, or fitchet, is a different animal from the 
skunk, though belonging to the same family. Its 
color is almost black, and in form it more closely 

125 



A RACCOON IN CHURCH. 



resembles the marten. In its habits it is very much 
• like other members of the weasel tribe. It often 
carries the head of an animal away to its hole, leav- 
Tng the body behind. Its smell is proverbially fetid, 
when it is enraged, but hardly like that of the 
skunk. Notwithstanding this, its fur is very beau- 
tiful and valuable. 

" Now, let us sum up what we have learned this 
morning, for I wouldn't be surprised if Aunt Jerusha 
needed a little help in the kitchen." 

" Tousin Grace, let me tell about the 'coonie, 
please do — I said ober its family again and again," 
plead Rose, eagerly. 

" Yes, dear." 

" It belongs to the family Ursid<^ ; and Fank said 
it was just like the bear family. , The genus was 
Trocyonr 

" Procyon, you mean," said Grace, smiling at the 
child's eagerness. 

"Rose calling the raccoon 'coonie' makes me 
think of the cony in the Bible. It cannot be that 
raccoon and cony designate the same animal ? " said 
Frank. 

" O, no ; the cony in the Bible was not very much 

126 



A RACCOON IN CHURCH. 



larger than a mouse, and it had soft, velvety fur. 
' The conies are but feeble folk, yet make they their 
houses in the rocks.' " 

" The opossum," said Frank, " belongs to the ordd> 
Marsupiala, and to the family Didelphidce ; and the 
kangaroo to the same order, but to the family 
MacropodidcBT 

" The martens," said May, " belong to the genus 
Mustela, and to the family Mustelidcer 

" And weasels belong to the same family," said 
Frank. 



127 




CHAPTER VI. 



THE FUNNY PIN-CUSHION. 



Grace, Frank and May had volunteered to go 
out on the common to pick blackberries for Aunt 
Jerusha, and, as it was far, they left Rose at the 
farm. 

Aunt Jerusha was busy, but poor little Rose at 
last bethought her of Fido, and took him with her 
into the garden for a romp. 

128 



A FUNNY PIN-CUSHION. 



Up and down the walks they ran, until, tired out. 
Rose sat down on a stone, while Fido betook him- 
self to hunting around in the bushes. 

Suddenly he seemed greatly excited over some- 
thing he had found, and began barking furiously. 

" I won'er what's the matter wiv' Fido ? " she 
said to herself, as she left her seat and cautiously 
ventured down to the hedge. 










" O, what a funny lookin' fing!" she exclaimed, as 
she saw that Fido was making all this fuss over a 
queer little animal, not quite so large as a rabbit. 



129 



A FUNNY PIN-CUSHION. 



" I do won'er what it tan be ! " she exclaimed. " I 
wish Tousin Grace was here. O ! yon'er is Mr. 
Dumas tying up the flowers ! I'll do and ask him." 
And away she ran. 

For a moment she spoke not a word, but regarded 
him in silence, her large blue eyes fixed earnestly 
upon him. 

" Well, little girl, what is it ? " asked Mr. Dumas. 

The child spread down the ruffes of her white 
dress, folded her hands before her, then, shutting her 
lips tight, regarded him with more earnestness than 
before. She had forgotten her errand, and was 
thinking of something else. 

" Would you like a flower ? " he asked. 

"Yes, sir; if you'll div me one. Fank you — " 
another silence, then she spoke again : " Mr. Dumas, 
are you af 'aid of womens and little dirls ? " 

He regarded her with surprise for a moment. 

" Who said so ? " he asked, at last. 

" Uncle Don." 

Mr. Dumas flushed scarlet. Then, with a twin- 
kle in his eyes, he said : " I scarcely think I'm 
afraid of such a very little girl as you." 

'' An' I wis you wouldn't be af'aid of my Tousin 

130 



A FUNNY PIN-CUSHION. 



Grace ? She's so tind she wouldn't hurt nossin — 
not even a spider. Don't you fink she's pretty ? " 

" I haven't seen her yet," said Mr. Dumas. 

" Well, she is. She's dot dreat, bid blue eyes, and 
long, brown turls, and she finks you're real nice." 

" When did she see me ? " asked Mr. Dumas. 

" O, we was lookin' out of the window at you ever 
so long yesser mornin' when you didn't know, and 
when Uncle Don told us all you knew about wond'ful 
fings Tousin Grace said we must break the ice, 
somehow, and I told her there ain't any ice, now; 
and, Mr. Dumas, Fido 's barkin' at a funny fing under 
the hedge, and I want you to tell me what it is." 

" What kind of a thing ? " asked Mr. Dumas, as 
he took her hand and started for the ledge. 

" O, stccA a funny fing! " she began, but just here 
they turned a bend in the walk and came face to 
face with Grace and the children. 

Mr. Dumas flushed crimson, and endeavored to 
slip his fingers out of Rose's tight grasp, but she 
held on the tighter, exclaiming eagerly : 

" O Tousin Grace, there's such a tweer fing that 
Fido 's barkin' at, and Mr. Dumas 's doin' wiv me to 
tell me what it is. It's some tind of an'mal." 

131 



A FUNNY PIN-CUSHION. 



" It is very kind of Mr. Dumas ! " said Grace. 
Then, turning to him, she added : " As we came 
here on purpose to study natural history, and as 
Uncle John has told us of your interest in the same 
study, I trust we can take advantage of being in the 
same household, and consider ourselves as friends, or, 
at least, fellow-students, at once." 

Mr. Dumas colored and bowed, and then, did not 
run away, but led the way to the hedge. Rose 
chattered away as they went. 

" I heard Fido barkin', and when I went to see 
what was the matter, he was barkin' to a funny fing 
on the dround, all full of needles. It was a little 
bidder than a wat, and had a long nose. Fido tept 
on barkin', and pretty soon the funny fing wasn't 
a wat any longer, but turned into a 'ittle wound 
pin-cushion." 

" What a story ! " exclaimed May. 

" It's all true," continued Rose, earnestly. " And 
Fido took hold of the pin-cushion, and tried to shake 
it, and some of the needles tuck in Fido's mouth, 
and he runned away as fast as he tould, then he tome 
back again, and he's barkin' at it now." 

Mr. Dumas laughed. They had reached the 

132 



A FUNNY PIN-CUSHION. 



hedge, and sure enough there was the '' pin-cushion." 

" Now, to prove that Rose's cushion is aHve, let us 
throv/ it into the pond ; for he's such a stubborn little 
animal we can find him out in no other way." 

He poked the ball of needles into the water, when, 
tD the children's surprise, the cushion was trans- 
formed into a little swimming animal. 

" You see it's a hedgehog," laughed Mr. Dumas, 
"I brought a pair from Europe as a present to Uncle 
John for his garden. They are very useful in clear- 
ing a place of insects. They are also particularly 
fond of cockroaches, and will become quite tame 
if kept in the kitchen." 

" You have no pen for them ? " asked Grace. 

" No ; they burrowed for themselves a home here 
under the hedo-e-row." 

o 

" Isn't it singular that they will always seek their 
home under something prickly like themselves, if 
they can find it ? " said Grace. 

" What do they do when winter comes ? " asked 
May. 

" Wrap themselves up in a warm nest of dried 
leaves and moss, and remain in a torpid state until 
spring. It is very amusing to see the mother with 

153 



A FUNNY PIN-CUSHION. 



four or five little ones in her large mossy nest of a 
home. It is well that they sleep all winter, for they 
are Insectivorous quadrupeds." 

" Are hedgehogs and porcupines the same ? " 
interrupted Frank. 

" No, they do not resemble each other in any- 
thing save their spines or needles. The porcupine 
is larger than the hedgehog, and his spines much 
longer — indeed, they measure nearly two feet, real 
quills without the feathers. The hedgehog is found, 
originally, only in Europe and Asia, while one 
species of the porcupine is found in Canada and the 
northern part of the United States. If you'll go 
with me into the orchard, I will show you another 
pet that I brought here from India." 

Grace and the children gladly followed, and 
beheld a strange looking animal covered with a stout 
armor. Mr. Dumas poked it with his cane, and it 
rolled itself up into a round ball, immediately. 

" Another pin-cushion for you, Rose," laughed 
Grace. 

" It's a ball all full of sharp knives," said May. 

" He's on the defensive now," said Capt. Dumas. 
"Even the tiger in his fury might tread upon and 

134 




Tup: Pangoijn. 



A FUNNY PIN-CUSHION. 



roll this ball about, and accomplish nothing, save 
v/ound himself with the ant-eater's hard scales." 

" An ant-eater ! *' said Frank. " I thought ant- 
eaters were little animals wdth sharp noses, furry 
hides and bushy tails. This thing looks more like 
a lizard." 

" There are several species of ant-eaters. They 
all feed upon ants in the same manner, but are 
different in construction. They are no relation 
to the lizards, but belong to the maimniferous ani- 
mals. These scales, like the quills of the porcupine 
and hedgehog, are movable at pleasure. This 
species is called the pangolin, and is a native of 
India and Africa. Sometimes he is as many as 
six feet long. The armor of the pangolin is even 
stronger than that of the porcupine. The arma- 
dillo, a native of South America, is another ant- 
eater clothed with scales ; but they all procure their 
food alike, all having very sharp claws with w^hich 
they dig down ant-hills. Then the animal lies down 
and protrudes his great long tongue, w^hich looks 
very much like a worm. The ants swarm upon it, 
and stick fast in the viscous fluid on its surface, then 
the ant-eater draws them in, and swallows them. 

137 



A FUNNY PIN-CUSHION. 



They are fond of wood-lice too, and often climb 
trees for the purpose of getting at them. They 
belong to the order Edentato^ and to the Armadillo 
family." 

" Do let us sit down, I'm so tired," interrupted 
May, flinging herself on the grass. 

" Did you get many berries 1 " asked Mr. Dumas. 

" About half as many as w^e should, I presume, 
had we not met with such a terrible scare," said 
Grace. 

" What was it ? " asked Mr. Dumas. 

" I was so thankful Rose wasn't along," said Grace, 
hugging the little girl. " Tell Mr. Dumas about it, 
Frank." 

" Why, there was a great black bear out there 
picking berries," said Frank. 

" O-h-h ! " exclaimed Rose, opening her eyes very 
wide. 

" And we ran for our lives," said Grace. 

"The bear didn't pursue?" asked Mr. Dumas. 

" O, no ; he seemed to take no notice of us, what- 
ever, but kept on coolly eating berries, as we as- 
certained when we looked back to see if he was 
following." 

138 



^i:! 




A Bear Picking Beeries. 



A FUNNY PIN-CUSHION. 



" It must be the tame bear that belongs to a farmer 
in the neighborhood. Aunt Jerusha ought to have 
told you about it. He is perfectly harmless. The 
next time you go berrying, let me know, and I'll go 
along." 

" We will," said Grace, "but I don't see how people 
can care to make pets of bears." 

" This is a very cunning bear, I assure you — full 
of pranks as he can be. One day he went down 
cellar and feasted on cookies and cream. In some 
way he upset a large pan of milk over himself, 
and looked funny enough when he came up, his 
whole face thickly coated with cream, his fur just 
dripping." 

" That makes me think of a bear story I once 
heard," laughed Grace. " The person who told it — 
a clergyman — assured us it was strictly true. A 
family that owned a tame bear went to church one 
Sunday, and left Master Bruin at home. No sooner 
did his bearship find himself alone, than he went to 
the cellar and tapped the molasses barrel, lapping it 
up hungrily as it dripped to the floor. Pretty soon 
he had enough, and began rolling in the pool that 
was accumulating on the floor. Now, more than 

141 



A FUNNY PIN-CUSHION. 



likely, he thought molasses was as good to bathe in 
as water ; but how w^as he mistaken ! The sweet 
fluid left a most unpleasant stickiness, so he went 
up-stairs and rolled himself over and over on the 
carpet. But the stickiness still clung to him. He 
mounted the stairs to the chambers above, and tum- 
bled on the beds over and over again, but all to no 
purpose. Instead, lo ! when he arose the sheets 
were sticking fast to him ; and, in that predicament, 
he went down stairs just as the good people had 
returned from church. Poor Bruin never cared for 
molasses any more." 

" The bear that we saw picking berries is an 
American bear, isn't it, Mr. Dumas ? " asked Frank. 

*' Yes, and the American bear differs considerably 
from bears in other parts of the world. It is smaller, 
has longer ears and a more pointed nose. The hair 
is smoother and blacker, and he is more gentle in 
disposition. He will attack and kill small animals 
if very hungry, but is fonder of sweet things. He 
is particularly partial to honey, likes sugar, molasses 
and fruit, and will never attack a man unless in self- 
defence. Bears pass the winter in caves and hollow 
trees, in a comparatively dormant state. It is said 

142 



A FUNNY PIN-CUSHION. 



all bears can climb trees with the exception of the 
grizzly bear, and he is also an American bear, being 
found in the Rocky Mountains, and the most savage 
of all the tribe. It is said no animal can outlive the 
grizzly bear's vice-like grip." 

" Are there any other American bears ? " asked 
Frank. 

" Yes, there is the white, or polar bear, but he is 
found only in extreme northern latitudes. This bear 
is the most carniverous of all the tribe. He is an 
excellent swimmer, and feeds largely on seals and 
young whales. The bears belong to the family 
Ursidce, I believe I would much rather meet a bear 
than a hungry wolf." 

" Do wolves like to eat peoples ! " asked Rose. 

" Of course they do," said May. " I once read in 
my school-reader that a great, big wolf found a dear 
little girl about as big as you, asleep. He covered 
her all up with leaves, and then ran away as fast as 
he could after his companions to help him eat the 
poor little girl ; but a man who was chopping saw it 
all, and as soon as the wolf started away he uncov- 
ered the little girl and carried her to a place of 
safety. Soon, a whole pack of wolves came to eat 

143 



A FUNNY PIN-CUSHION. 



the little girl ; but she was gone, and they were so 
angry with the wolf because they thought he told 
them a story, that they pounced upon him and tore 
him all to pieces. And you remember the story of 
' Red Riding Hood,' Rosie ? " 

" Poh ! that's a 'tory, 'tause mamma said so," 
answered Rose. " A wolf tant talk, and a w^olf 
touldiit make any 'ittle dirls believe he was her 
grandma. I know he touldn't ! " 

" What a little owl ! " said May. " But the other 
story was true, wasn't it, Mr. Dumas .f' " 

" Very likely. A hungry wolf would as lieve cat 
a little girl as anything else ; but Rosie needn't be 
afraid for there are none around here. I have seen 
them, however, many at a time, when I was a boy, 
bounding over the snow on a still winter's night." 

" The wolf looks very much like the dog, doesn't 
he .f* " asked Frank. 

" Yes, he is about the size of a larq-e dos:, but 
much leaner. The color is generally mixed, black 
gray and brown. The eyes are so constructed as to 
give a very fierce look. Cruel and cowardly in dis- 
position, it does not seem jDossible that so noble and 
affectionate an animal as the dos^ ever orisrinated 

144 




The Wolf 



A FUNNY PIN-CUSHION. 



from it, nor do we know it as a fact. I am inclined 
to believe that the dog is a distinct species by itself 
though Natural Historians teach to the contrary," 
said Mr. Dumas. 

" I can classify the wolf without any telling," said 
May. 

" Can you ? " asked Mr. Dumas. " I should like 
to hear you." 

" Class Vertebrates^ order Carnivora, family Canidcs 
and genus Canis. It is just like the dog." 

" You don't mean to tell me that a little girl like 
you knows the meaning of all those words ? " said 
Mr. Dumas, in surprise. 

' Yes, sir. Vertebrates means having a backbone. 
Carnivora^ flesh-eating. Canidcg like a dog, and 
Canis the Latin word for dog." 

" We are making Natural History an especial 
study now," said Frank, " and Cousin Grace is our 
teacher. ' 

"Mr. Dumas, too.''" spoke up Rose. "He knows 
everyfing, don't he, Tousin Grace ? " 

But Mr. Dumas gave Grace no time to reply. He 
went on about the wolf. He said that if a wolf was 
excited by hunger there seemed no end to his blood- 

147 



A FUNNY PIN-CUSHION. 



thirstiness. He would attack animals much larger 
than himself, and even devour his own species. 
They had been known to follow a sleigh, and to 
actually begin devouring the horse's legs, while the 
people in the sleigh were fighting them. 

" It seems strange," said Grace. " Now our west- 
ern prairie-wolves are the most harmless of all 
animals. They are about as large as a big yellow 
dog, and disturb the night with their dismal howls, 
but they are not ferocious. Indeed, they are such 
great cowards as to run from almost everything, 
especially from human beings. I have seen prairie- 
wolves many a time." 

"T should suppose the prairie-wolf looks somewhat 
like the fox," said Mr. Dumas. 

" I think it does," said Grace. 

" What difference is there between the fox and the 
wolf ? " asked Frank. 

" The greatest naturalists once classed the fox 
with the wolf and dOg. But the most recent clas- 
sifications place it in the genus Vulpes, It has a 
broader head, shorter limbs and a longer, bushier 
tail. It is consideried the most cunning and crafty 
of all animals. It has a suspicious nature that no 

148 



A FUNNY PIN-CUSHION. 



amount of taming or training can obliterate. Even 
the wolf and jackal show more gratitude for favors 
than the fox." 

" Now, children, you may classify what we have 
learned to-day, then we will go in the house," said 
Grace. 

" Hedgehogs turn into pin-tushions and belong 
to the Urchin fam'ly, I 'member that," said Rose, 
proudly. 

The pangolin belongs to the Armadillo family, and 
to the order Edentata',' said Frank. 

" The bear belongs to the Ursidce family ; and I 
have already classed the wolf," said May. 

And then the day's lesson ended with a promise 
from Mr. Dumas to take them to visit a bachelor 
friend of his who owned a number of foreign 



animals. 



149 




CHAPTER VII. 



AN OLD-FASHIONED VISIT. 



Very early in the morning they started, just about 
daybreak, and after about two miles of public road 
the rest of the way lay through woods and brush, 
the narrow winding track filled with stumps and thin 
blades of grass. 

The children were full of fun, and even Grace 
declared she didn't believe more than one wagon 

160 



AN OLD-FASHIONED VISIT. 



had ever passed over the road, and that one without 
any kind of animal to pull it, since there were no 
footprints visible. 

A tall, raw-boned woman with hard brown hands 
came out of a little, low, yellow-painted house, and 
gave them a welcome. 

" If it ain't nice to hev company once in a body's 
life-time, then I dun't know," she said, leading the 
party into the house. " I dun't know when I've seed 
a little gal before, and such mighty purty ones ! " 

The children stepped bashfully up to a long, red 
wooden settle, and sat themselves down. 

" Hungry, I'm sure } " she said, going to the cellar- 
way, and returning with such enormous-looking 
rusks that Mav looked startled ; and little Rose said 
she "never ate bread v/ithout butter." 

" It's butter you want ? This isn't bread, little 
gal. It's rusk, and got lots of sugar in it." 

Rose took the cake, and turned it dubiously in her 
hand, and May said they would go out of doors and 
eat their lunch. 

" Are any of the wild animals prowling around } " 
asked Mr. Dumas. 

" Law ! no, not in the garden ; besides all the 

151 



AN OLD-FASHIONED VISIT. 



animals are perty well tamed anyhow. They never 
think of hurtin' Timothy and me. Timothy'll be 
up perty soon. He went to the swamp after a load 
of wood." 

Meantime the children out in the garden were nib- 
bling at their rusks. 

Suddenly May caught little Rose by the hand, 
protectingly. " Hark, Frank, what's that ? " 

" What ? " asked Frank. 

" Why, something rubbing against the other side 
of the fence ! " And very cautiously May and Rose 
peeped over the fence. 

" Just the lovelies' little talves ! " cried Rose. 

" Poh ! they're deer," said Frank, as he too, 
looked over. 

" Deer ? " said May. " Why, deers have great big 
horns." 

" The females don't. That's a female over there 
with her two little ones." 

" I thought deers were great, big things." 

" Well, so they are, sometimes," said Frank, look- 
ing perplexed, in spite of himself. 

" Let's go and ask Cousin Grace and Mr. Dumas." 
And away the children ran. 

I 152 




Deer. 



AN OLD-FASHIONED VISIT. 



" And why do you think they are not deer ? " 
asked Grace. 

" Well," said Frank, " in the first place they are 
not large enough, and none of them have horns ; 
and then there are two little ones, and I think there 
ought to be but one." 

"Let me see," said Mr. Dumas. "The fallow 
deer is not nearly so large as the red deer ; and then 
there is the little roebuck which weighs only about 
sixty pounds ; yet it is not likely to be that since it 
is always a dangerous pet. The fallow deer was 
originally a native of Persia, from whence it was 
brought to England, where it is now thoroughly 
domesticated. It is very gentle in disposition and 
easily tamed. It is a dark bay color above, white 
beneath and on the inside of the limbs and under 
the tail." 

" The one out there hasn't a sign of a tail," cried 
May, triumphantly. "So you see, Master Frank, it 
isn't a deer." 

" Not a fallow deer, perhaps," smiled Mr. Dumas. 
" But it may be a roebuck. He is only about two 
feet and a half high. In summer his hair is short 



155 



AN OLD-FASHIONED VISIT. 



and smooth, and of a bright red color on the upper 
part of his body. Its under parts are white." 

" That's him ! " exclaimed Frank. " Are you sure 
that the roebuck has two spotted little ones ? " 

" Yes, but, to satisfy you, Miss Montague and I 
will go and take a peep. Yes, it is a roebuck, and 
well is it that it is enclosed with such a high fence, 
for the roe is not by any means so gentle as she 
looks." 

" What's the reason she hasn't any horns } " 
asked May. 

" Only the males have horns ; and sometimes 
they are without; for all deer shed their horns 
once a year." 

" Do tell us all about it, Mr. Dumas." 

" When the deer is a year old, the first horn 
comes, straight and smooth; when it is two years 
old it loses the old pair and has another, with one 
snag added. In this manner it keeps adding a snag 
every year, so you see a deer's age can be accurately 
told by his horns. If there are nine branches he is 
ten years of age, and a noble-looking animal, indeed." 

" But how do they come off ? " asked May. " Do 
they get knocked off ? " 

156 



o 

CD 

O 

i 



H 
O 




AN OLD-FASHIONED VISIT. 



" No, it is a provision of nature. Every year, gen- 
erally between November and March, the deer's 
horns loosen at the base and fall. The deer seems 
very much ashamed during this time and tries to 
conceal himself ; in a short time, however, new horns 
begin to grow, covered with a velvety or a mossy 
substance nearly the color of the animal's hair ; and 
they grow so rapidly that they are entire in a few 
days. All the time the horns are growing, the moss 
upon them is very tender, and this may be one reason 
that the deer hide in thickets until their horns have 
completed their growth and the moss upon them be- 
comes dry and hard. When the antlers are fully 
grown and the moss is fully dry they come forth, and 
at once begin rubbing their horns against the trees 
until it all has peeled off ; then with a shake of their 
heads the animals are their own proud-looking selves 
again ; for the horns, as heavy and inconvenient to 
carry as they look, add much to the proud bearing of 
the animals. All the deer tribe are fleet of foot, 
thus making a very exciting chase ; besides, their 
flesh is delicious and savory, and their skins valuable 
for many uses. The little roes like the hills, the 
large deer the forests and plains. The Virginia 

159 



AN OLD-FASHIONED VISIT. 



deer, called the fallow deer of America, is best 
known in our Northern and Middle States. It 
weighs about two hundred pounds. Its skin is largely 
manufactured into buck-skin mittens and gloves." 

" Do the antelopes and gazelles belong to the 
deer tribe ? " asked Frank. 

'' No, they seem to come in between the deer and 
goats. They may be distinguished by their horns 
being without snags and like those of cattle, hollow 
at the base and never shed. The antelope family 
consists of many species. Deer belong to the order 
Rumi7iantia, cud-chewers, and to the family Cervidce^ 
deer-like." 

At this point a shaggy-haired and shaggy-whis- 
kered man made his appearance with outstretched 
Tiand. 

Mr. Dumas grasped it, saying, " I have brought 
the children over, Timothy, to see the animals." 

" That's right," said Timothy. " If you'll step 
this way I'll show you some of their pens. " This is 
a puma," he continued, as they came to the first. 

" What is that ? " asked Frank. " Why, it looks 
like a panther ! " 

" So it is, a North American panther. It is called 

160 




The Puma. 



AN OLD-FASHIONED VISIT. 



catamount, too, sometimes. It is the largest of all 
the American cats with the exception of the jaguar. 
It is larger than the largest dog, and makes great 
havoc in the sheep-folds at night. It also feeds upon 
deer, horses, and, when pressed by hunger, has been 
known to attack men. One day, Semantha (that's 
my sister) and I had been away from home. It was 
in the evening, and just before reaching the house 
we heard the most horrible cries. As w^e came in 
front of the house we found our watch-dog and a 
large puma engaged in a fight. Poor Faithful was 
uttering his last death-cries, but no sooner did the 
puma see us than she leaped through an open win- 
dow right into the house. Wasn't that a predica- 
ment ? However, a musket was in the wagon ; I 
always find it handy to have one with me ; and after 
some skirmishing at various windows the puma was 
shot dead. 

"And now," added Timothy, as he cautiously 
opened the door of an outhouse, " I'm going to show 
you the finest pet I have." 

The company as cautiously peeped in. They 
beheld a young lioness lying beside a large basket 



163 



AN OLD-FASHIONED VISIT. 



filled with straw. One of her hind paws was thrown 
around a little black dog, while another she held 
between her fore-paws, lapping its face caressingly. 
The mother of the tiny dogs stood near, watching 
the operation with a sort of pleased approval. 

" Oh ! the tunnin 'ittle dogs ! " exclaimed Rose, 
making a spring into the room. 

The next instant there was a roar, and the lioness 
was crouched upon the floor, wagging her tail 
threateningly. Rose gave a scream of terror, and 
sprang toward the door ; at the same time Timothy 
and Mr. Dumas both sprang forward, and Timothy, 
snatching her up, jumped to one side, just as the 
enraged lioness brought up against the boards 
opposite with a heavy thud. 

Before she could see how the attack ended, Grace 
became giddy and faint, and sank upon the turf 
just outside the door. 

Mr. Dumas was bending over her in an instant 
He assured her again and again that " Rose was 
safe and in Timothy's arms." But he and Timothy 
were obliged to carry her into the house. 

Semantha bustled around and made a bed on the 



164 




Uncle Timothy's Pet. 



AN OLD-FASHIONED VISIT. 



settle. " Who'd believe that lion would acted so.^ 
That's what yer get, Timothy, for hevin' all them 
wild critters about." 

" O, I am not hurt," said Grace, a very faint smile 
flitting over her face as she drew a long sigh. 

" Dear little Rose ! I thought her last moment 
had come, and somehow it took my breath away," 
and Grace shuddered again. 

Rose nestled close up to her cousin, and rested 
her cheek on the still pale one that was upturned on 
the pillow. 

" Spoiled all our fun for to-day," said Frank. 

" We should be very thankful indeed that dear 
little Rose was not killed," said Mr. Dumas. " The 
lioness could have crushed her with one blow of her 
paw. Why, even her tongue is covered with such 
stout, sharp prickles that they are capable of drawing 
blood." 

" Is the lion any like the cat ? " asked May. 

" The lion is a cat — the largest of the cat tribe. 
Walks, lies down, and pounces upon his prey, in the 
same manner." 

" The lion is considered the king of beasts, is he 
not ? " asked Frank. 

167 



AN OLD-FASHIONED VISIT 



"He has the name, and, really, is the most ma- 
jestic looking of all the beasts," said Mr. Dumas. 
" But, after all that, he is a veritable coward, I believe. 
The tiger is three times as brave as the lion. It is 
true, the lion shows mighty strength when enraged, 
crushing and destroying everything before him. 
Yet what else is it than cowardice when he hides 
close to a stream of water to pounce unawares upon 
two weak, innocent little fawns as they come down 
to drink? The roar of his voice is terrible; the 
flash of his eyes like lightning ; the lashing of his 
tail like a sapling bent in a mighty wind ; yet this 
is simply noise, when he has nothing to fear from 
his gentle, timid prey." 

" The female hasn't any mane, has she ? " asked 
Frank. 

" No, nor the male, until he has reached a certain 
age. The tiger is much the braver of the two. She 
fears to attack nothing, and her cry, when she 
springs upon her prey, is hideous. Yet, like the 
lion, if she misses her mark when springing, she 
seems ashamed and gives it up " 

" The tiger is not so large as the lion ? " said Frank. 

" They are about the same size, but the tiger may 




The Mighty Coward. 



AN OLD-FASHIONED VISIT. 



be distinguished from the Hon in having a larger 
head, longer body, and by being beautifully striped. 
A tiger's robe is very beautiful indeed. The tigress, 
as well as the lioness, has four or five young ones at 
a time, and they are about the size of a large pup." 

" Do you suppose the lioness out there thought 
those little dogs were hers ? " asked May. 

" I don't know. The lion and tiger both show a 
strong partiality for dogs. Numerous incidents have 
been given of their kindness to dogs. Both the 
lion and tiger show great gratitude towards their 
keepers. They will gently lick their hands, rub their 
sides against their clothing, and express their affec- 
tion in every manner that is in their power." 

" I have a young tiger," said Timothy, " but I sus- 
pect you don't care to see it now ? " 

" O, yes we do," said Grace, " only I think we had 
better leave Rose in the house, then we shall know 
she is safe." 

" Where did you get your tiger ? " asked Frank. 

" In a jungle in India. I came across a tigress 
and her three little ones cuddled up asleep, the 
mother watching. Several men were with me. We 

171 



AN OLD-FASHIONED VISIT. 



succeeded In shooting the tigress, and I saved one 
of the little ones to bring home with me." 

After dinner, the party, with the exception of 
Semantha and Rose, went out to see the tiger. 
Rose loudly resisted at first, but was reconciled on 
being introduced to a basket of kittens, and was 
afterwards rewarded by a ride on a donkey. Rose 




was delighted with the little rough shaggy animal, 
which was attended by a baby donkey, and as she 
was placed on the large one's back she said : 

" I know he Isn't very pretty, but I s'all be p'oud 



172 




The Tigress and Her Babies. 



AN OLD-FASHIONED VISIT. 



to wide on him 'tause it was the only an'mal the 
Lord Jesus eber wode on — wasn't it, Tousin 
Grace ? " 

The children took off their hats and cheered at 
the little girl's speech, and Mr. Dumas held her on 
the animal's back, while Timothy led him by a 
bridle. 

" I wonder if the donkey of Bible times was just 
like this ? " said Grace. 

" I should think he would rather have had a horse," 
said Frank. 

" Horses were very scarce in those days, in fact, 
almost unknown. The greatest of the land rode on 
white asses. Some think the ass on which our 
Saviour rode was the Persian animal. The wild ass 
of Persia is more symmetrical in form, stands higher 
on its limbs, has more of a mane, and its color is a 
silver-gray. In Eastern countries the donkey is still 
valued almost, if not quite, as much as the horse. 
It is more patient and surer-footed than the horse, 
being peculiarly adapted for traveling narrow passes 
where the horse would stumble and fall. There 
seems to be two species of the donkey — the common 
ass, which originated from the wild animal in the 

175 



AN OLD-FASHIONED VISIT. 



mountainous deserts of Tartary ; and the other, the 
more beautiful of the two, from the wild ass of 
Persia. The bray of the ass is proverbially hideous. 
^The donkey, like the goat, can subsist on almost 
anything, feeding on thistles with as much evident 
relish as upon the daintiest of clover-tops. He 
belongs to the same family as the horse, but is really 
a distinct species for all that." 

While they were riding home the children classi- 
fied the different animals they had seen. Frank 
classed deer and antelopes with the order Herbi- 
vora^ family Cervidce. 

May classed the puma, lion and tiger with the 
same order and family as cats, while little Rose knew 
all about the donkey family, Equida>. 



176 







CHAPTER VIII. 



THE MENAGERIE. 



Grace and the children were getting ready to go 
to the menagerie. Grace was standing before the 
glass, in the hall, tying her hat, the children around 
her, when who should walk in but Mr. Dumas. 

" I was just thinking of you," said Grace, extending 
her hand with a pleased smile. " I was just thinking 
how nice it would be if we could only have you to 
go with us to the menagerie !" 

177 



THE MENAGERIE. 



" Well," said Mr. Dumas, " since my time is my 
own I will go with you if you wish." 

Once at the menagerie there seemed no end of 
sights. The children stood face to face with nearly 
every animal they had talked about, and many more 
besides. 

The first that particularly attracted their atten- 
tion was an ourano^-outano:. 

" Look at that man scwatching his head," cried 
Rose. 

" Sure it is a man .^" asked Grace. 

" He's dot a face like black mens, but the west of 
him is wed and hairy all over," said Rose doubtfully, 
after an attentive look. 

" He does look like some kind of a man," said 
Frank. 

" Sometimes he is called the 'Wild Man,' but he 
is little like a man after all, except in his height. 
He is an animal through and through," said Capt 
Dumas. 

"Doesn't he walk upright, like a man?" asked 
Frank. 

" Sometimes, but it is always in a knee-sprung con- 
dition. In reaching high objects, and when on 

178 




ScwATCHiNG His Head." 



THE MENAGERIE. 



trees, they usually stand upright, that they may 
cling to the branches above them with their hands. 
Some historians say they have seen onrang-ou tangs 
walking upon their feet with their hands clasped at 
the backs of their necks, but / never did." 

" O, Capt. Dumas, have you seen ourang-outangs 
in their wild state ? " asked the children, excitedly. 

" O yes, many times, in Africa, in China and in 
the East Indies. They all have smooth blue-black 
faces, are five feet in height when grown, and their 
bodies are covered with coarse red hair. They live 
on fruits and roots, and sleep up in trees. They are 
not very sociable in disposition, yet, occasionally, may 
be seen in family groups. Some historians describe 
them as being so strong that ten men could not con- 
trol one when in the wild state ; and it is said they 
actually do cover up the dead bodies of their species 
with dead leaves. Persons of rank often hunt these 
animals on the Island of Borneo, much in the same 
way as stags are hunted in Europe, Occasionally, a 
very young one is captured, tamed and taught to do 
a great many funny things ; for of all animals 
the monkey-tribe possesses the greatest power of 
mimicry. I have seen ourang-outangs taught so 

181 



THE MENAGERIE. 



that they ate with knives and forks at the table, and 
covered themselves up in bed, tied a handkerchief 
about their heads for a night cap and showed many 
signs of affection to their masters." 

Here the conversation was broke into by Pat 
Ryan who came up and gave the ourang a sly pinch. 

Quickly turning, the creature brought her hand 
around with a violent blow on Pat's ear, at the same 
time chattering in anger. 

" You naughty, bad boy, you've don and made her 
mad, " said little Rose, indignantly. 

" How did you ever come here ? " asked Frank. 

" Climbed over the fence, " laughed Pat, returning 
Grace's kindly greeting with a blush and a bow. 

" This is the lad who interested me so much in 
my Sunday school class, the other Sunday, " said she 
to Mr. Dumas. 

Pat blushed deeper than ever, and then said, very 
timidly, for him : 

" I 'spect it wasn't right for me to climb over the 
fence, but I wanted to see the animals so bad, mum, 
and I couldn't raise fifty cents to me name, mum. 
And I see y'es all a-goin' in." 

Mr. Dumas silently slipped fifty cents into the nbt 

182 



THE MENAGERIE. 



over-clean hand, and pointed to the entrance. Pat 
understood, was off like a dart, and back again with 
the same celerity, this time with a sunny face. 

" Now, Pat Wyan, if you's doin' wiv' us, I want 
you to be a dood boy, or I sail be drefful 'shamed 
of you," said Rose patronizingly. 

" You shall lead me yourself, me jewel," said Pat, 
taking her hand. 

The party moved on, and next came to a monkey- 
mother with her arms WTapped very affectionately 
around the neck of her half-grown child. 

Rose gave an exclamation of delight : " Why, 
dese monkeys dot tails ! Where was the bid one's 
tail, Mr. Dumas ? " 

" The large ourang-outangs belonging to the apes 
do not have tails, and comprise ourang-outangs, 
gorillas and chimpanzees. This mother and her 
little one belong to the tailed monkeys, and are 
just such as we see going around with hand- 
organs. It is far more pleasant to see them in their 
wild state, skipping about through the trees like 
very large squirrels, than to see them dressed up so 
gaudily for show. This is a Chinese monkey, so- 
called because its hair parts in the middle and 

183 



THE MENAGERIE. 



Spreads over its head something Hke a Chinese cap. 
These monkeys are very fond of sugar-cane and 
cocoanuts. The natives of India often catch them 
by making a small hole in a cocoanut, and placing 
it where they will be sure to find it. The monkey 




is always sure to see it, hastens forward eagerly to 
thrust a paw into the hole and get at the kernel ; 
then the natives on watch spring out and seize her 
before she can get her paw out. 

184 



THE MENAGERIE. 



" I never thought there were so many different 
kinds of monkeys," said May, as they went slowly 
from one monkey-house to another. 

" Yes," said Capt. Dumas, " they range from the 
size of a man down to the size of a tiny squirrel, and 
yet there are a great many species still unknown. 
Just glimpses of them have been caught, and that is 
all. Monkeys belong to the order, Qttadrttmanes. 
The monkeys of the Old world belong to the Siiniadce 
family, while those of the New world belong to the 
Cebidcer 

" What difference is there between the monkeys ^ 
of the Old world and those of the New, that they 
must belong to different families ? " asked Frank. 

" The monkeys of the American continent have 
no thumbs on their hands, have very long tails, have 
no cheek pouches, and there is more space between 
the nostrils. They are found principally in the 
forests of South America." 

" I don't know what they want to rank a monkey 
next to man, for. Here's an animal I admire much 
more," said Frank, stepping up and patting a camel 
on its sides. 



185 



THE MENAGERIE. 



" And, see, here is a baby camel lying down beside 
its mother ! " cried May, delightfully. 

" What a great, noble, patient-looking animal she 
is ! " exclaimed Grace, taking her turn to stroke the 
animal's nose. 

" Her powers of endurance are very great," said 
Capt. Dumas. " But I am not so sure of her 
patience and good temper. My experience is that 
she is rather stubborn, and not at all grateful for 
kindness." 

" Faith ! and what does the crayther have such 
ugly humps on his back for ? " asked Pat. 

" They answer several purposes. They are not 
hard and bony as they look, but soft as a cushion, 
being composed of fat. Some camels have two 
humps and others but one. When the camel has 
plenty to eat these humps are plumper and more 
expanded, but afrer a long journey through the 
desert .they become mere ligaments because of the 
absorption of the fat, as, after everything else has 
failed, and every digestible thing has been taken up 
from the stomach, then the vital system falls back 
on these hunches of fat, which are frequently all that 



186 




Camels. 



THE MENAGERIE. 



keeps the animal alive. The camel, like every other 
genera of its order, chews the cud." 

" What is the cud } " asked Frank. " I've often 
watched cows lying down chewing their cuds, and 
wondered what they were. They seemed like round 
balls of something." 

" I will try to explain it to you. Every ruminating 
animal possesses four stomachs. When he is eating 
grass, he swallows it without masticating. Perhaps, 
because none of these animals have upper teeth, 
they have not time to masticate their food as soon 
as they find it. They simply swallow it into the 
first stomach, from whence it is passed to the second 
where it remains some time to macerate into a half- 
chewed state, and, afterwards, when the animal is in 
repose she brings it up in small quantities to chew 
more thoroughly and then re-swallows it, it passing 
this time into the third stomach. Here, the water 
the animal drinks mixes with the food, and it 
becomes a pulp, and is passed on to the fourth 
stomach, the only stomach that contains gastric 
juice. It is next in size to the first stomach, and is 
not unlike that possessed by man." 



189 



THE MENAGERIE. 



" Sure, sir, and I niver heard the loikes of that 
before. Four stomachs ! I shall think of it ivery 
toime I see anything chewing its cud," said Pat. 
" Four stomachs / " he repeated again and again, 

" The camel is famous for its powers of endurance. 
It can travel over the burning sands of Arabia with- 
out a drop of water for more than a week, and seem- 
ing to suffer no disadvantage therefrom. This is 
owing to an additional cavity in the stomach where 
it can receive a large amount of water and retain it 
unchanged for a long time. It often occurs when 
the wandering Arabs are perishing with thirst that 
they slaughter their camels and drink the water 
found within, thus saving their own lives. Indeed 
the camel, stubborn and sullen as he is, is almost 
everything to the Arabs. A large camel will carry 
over a thousand pounds across burning, scorching 
deserts. To receive their loads their masters make 
them get down on their knees. No wonder that the 
Arabians consider the camel a gift from Heaven, al- 
though they hold them in very different estimation 
from their horses. Without them they could not 
travel, they could not live. They eat their flesh, 



190 



THE MENAGERIE. 



they drink their milk, use their skins and weave 
their hair into cloth. They belong to the order of 
Ruminantia and to the family Camelidcer 

" O, here's a dreat bid el'phant ! " exclaimed Rose, 
" I knows, 'tause I've seen one before." 




" Faith, and the crayther has a tail both before 
and behind," said Pat. 

" Yq.u silly boy ! That one close to his eyes is his 
mouth; don't you see him drinkin' water ? " said Rose. 



191 



THE MENAGERIE. 



" It looks more like a nose," said Frank. " How is 
it, Mr. Dumas ? " 

" The elephant's trunk is only a continuation of 
the canals of his nose. He breathes through it and 
smells with it. " 

" Sure and what's the use of hevin' sich a mighty 
long nose ? " asked Pat. 

"It is a very handy thing for a clumsy animal 
like the elephant. There is a movable finger at the 
very end of this strange, funny, big nose, which he 
can use at his pleasure. It is strong enough to 
break off great branches of trees. He can untie 
knots with it, open and shut gates, and pick up 
things with it. He pumps up water with it, he col- 
lects dust with it and puffs it over his hide to protect 
him from flies, this dust coming in contact with 
his moistened skin, baking into a hard crust. With 
his trunk he passes his food up to his mouth. 
Here are some peanuts. Let us see how he eats 
them." And the party were entertained for a merry 
half-hour seeing the elephant eat peanuts. He even 
thrust his trunk in Mr. Dumas' pocket for them. 

" What does he have such very long teeth for ? " 
asked Mary. 

192 




Elephants. 



THE MENAGERIE. 



" He hasn't any front teeth at all, in either jaw. 
You are speaking of his tusks. They are weapons 
of defence, and for tearing up trees for food. He is 
a very peaceable animal if left alone, but will not 
bear too much teasing. While passing with a 
caravan through Africa, I have often seen them 
roaming at large. They are then the roughest and 
ugliest animals upon the face of the earth. They 
live to be a hundred and twenty or thirty years old. 
They belong to the order Tachydermata, which com- 
prises the largest terrestrial animals that live, and 
to the ElephantidcB family. To this family belong 
the extinct genera Mammoth and Mastodo7ir 

" See what a dreat bid long neck that horse's dot !" 
cried Rose, who had run on a step or two, still hold- 
ing Pat's hand. 

'• That's a giraffe, or camelopard. It is more 
closely allied to the deer than to any other animal. 
Its head is somewhat like that of a horse except for 
the horns." 

" I don't see any horns,'' said May. 

" Don't you see those horns, about six inches long 
and covered with a hairy skin ,^ " asked Grace, 



195 



THE MENAGERIE. 



" O, now I do. His head's so high up that it's 
hard work to see so far." 

" The giraffe is full seventeen feet high when he 
is erect. With his long neck he seems especially 




adapted for feeding on the leaves of trees. He has 
a long tongue which he can use something as the 
elephant use his trunk. He can twist it around a 



196 



THE MENAGERIE. 



branch and draw it down so that another giraffe can 
feed on the leaves while he holds it ; and then he 
can eat, while his companion returns the favor by 
holding it down for him. The giraffe has a tail like 
a camel, and is spotted like the leopard. It is very 
inoffensive, and usually seeks to run away from its 
pursuer though it is capable of making a stout 




resistance by kicking. This animal belongs to the 
same order and families as the deer and antelope. 

" And what ugly baste is that ? " asked Pat. 

" That is a hippopotamus, named from the Greek 
words, hippos, horse and potamus, river. The tusks 
of the lower jaws were for a long time used by dent- 

197 



THE MENAGERIE. 



ists in the manufacture of artificial teeth, it being 
both whiter and harder than ivory, The hippopota- 
mus is as ugly as an animal can very well be, and if 
pursued on land, immediately takes to the water 
where it is at home. It can walk on the bottom of 
streams, occasionally raising its nose out of water to 
get a breath of fresh air. At night it leaves the water 
to seek its food, eating the herbage which grows 
on the banks. The hippopotamus is hunted for its 
tusks, but is difficult to shoot since its hide is so 
thick and tough. Sometimes, however, it is shot, if 
the marksman is able to take the animal in the eye 
or behind the ear. A whole herd may be attacked 
in water near a fall, as then they roll and tumble 
down the abyss in the greatest confusion. 

" The natives take the hippopotamus with a har- 
poon as though it were a whale. A barbed iron 
point fits in at the end of a pole. The hunters go 
into a herd of hippopotamuses on a raft. When 
they are near enough they throw their whole 
weight on the poles and drive the barbed irons 
deep into the hippopotamus' body. Like the 
whale, he dives to the bottom, but cannot escape, 
since there is a long line attached to the pole which 

198 



THE MENAGERIE. 



the men take to the shore and draw around a tree. 
When he comes to the surface they attack him with 
spears, or javehns, and soon make an end of him. 
Though his hide is nearly two inches thick, there 
seems to be no use made of it except to cut it into 
strips, to manufacture into whips. It belongs to the 
same order as does the elephant. All animals of 
this order are herbiverous." 

" O, what a pretty little 'triped horse ! " exclaimed 
Rose, who was running ahead drawing Pat with her. 

" That's a zebra," said Frank. 

" Faith, and he's a much handsomer baste than 
the donkey. Why isn't he tamed and made use of, 
to be sure ? " said Pat. 

" Because, he wont be tamed. He speeds over the 
inaccessible rocks and crags of Africa and snorts de- 
fiance. He may be petted and caressed, as they 
sometimes are when captured for menageries and 
museums, but all of no avail. His restive spirit can- 
not bear restraint, and he is vicious and ungovern- 
able. Though shapely and graceful like a horse, he 
brays like an ass. His skin is like bands of satin 
ribbon, on the male, brown and yellowish-white, and 



201 



THE MENAGERIE. 



on the female black on a white ground. The zebra 
belongs to the family, EquidceT 

After the menagerie, the whole company, Pat 
included, took tea at Mr. Ellerton's, and while the 
children were at the table, they went over what they 
had learned, much to the gratification of the father 
and mother. 

" The monkey-tribe are not quadrupeds, if they do 
go on all fours, are they ? " asked Frank. 

" No, they are Quadrumanes^ the only creatures 
in the world that possess four hands," said Grace. 

" With four hands I should think they might 
accomplish more than man, if they had the mind," 
said Frank. 

" That's what is lacking," said Mr. Dumas. " They 
haven t the mind. They are in the image of man 
more than any other creature, yet, because they 
have not mind, they are, after all this resemblance, 
nothing but mere brutes. You can tame a monkey, 
beginning on the first day of his birth, and though 
you may succeed in teaching him some pretty smart 
tricks, you cannot make a ma^t of him, try your 
best ! Do you remember their families, Frank.? " 



202 



THE menagp:rie. 



" O, yes sir; those of the Old world belong to 
the SimiadcB family, and those of the New to the 
Cebidc^r 

" The camel is the nicest animal we saw to-day," 
said May. "He belongs to the order Ruminatia^ 
and to the family Camelidcer 




" Sure, and I loiked the ilephant best," said Pat, 
" but it's meself can not be afther remimbering 
the hard names, sure." 

" To the order Pach'ydermata^ and to the family 
Elephantidce^' quickly said Frank, 

205 



THE MENAGERIE. 



" Which did my little Rose like the best ? " asked 
Mr. Ellerton. 

" O, I liked the 'ittle 'triped horse the best. He 
was the prettiest, but not half as nice as Mr. Timo- 
thy's donkey, 'cause he let me wide on his back, 
and the little zebra wouldn't. He was too 'tross, Mr. 
Dumas said. He b'longed to the Equidce family, 
dust like the horse and donkey." 

" The giraffe was a pretty animal," said May. " It 
belonged to the same family as the deer ; and the 
hippopotamus was the very ugliest of them all ; uglier 
than the elephant, I think, and it belongs to the 
same order as the elephant, so we needn't wonder 
that it is so homely." 



PART II 

WINGS. 




The Birds' Concert. 






''i-^-S^hS§^M^^S^^ 







CHAPTER I. 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



One morning, at Aunt Jerusha's, Rose woke Grace 
and May with a shriek of delight. She was stand- 
ing before an open window in her long, white night- 
dress, and by the time they fairly got their eyes open 
and comprehended where they were, Rose stood 
motionless with both hands over her mouth. 

" What are you standing that way for t " asked 
Grace. 

211 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



" To keep the squeal back so it won't frighten 
away the birdies. O, Tousin Grace and May, the 
birdies are holdin' dust the lovehest concert out 
here you eber sawed ! Don't you hear ? " 

Grace and May came to the window and looked 
out into the great orchard. Every tree was alive 
with birds of all kinds and colors, and each seemed 
trying to make the most noise. There were thrushes 
and blackbirds, larks and cat-birds. 

" And, O, there is a wobin, wight on this tree, 
closest to the window ! " screamed Rose, " 'tause I 
know it by his red breast. And, O, May ! see that 
beyewful yellow-bird with black 'tripes on his wings. 
Is it a canary, Tousin Grace ? " 

" No, dearie, it's a goldfinch." 

" Tell about him, do," pleaded the excited child. 

" Get dressed first, and go wake Frank, then we 
will all go down into the orchard." 

It did not take Rose many minutes to dress 
and she could hardly stand still for Grace to curl 
her hair. The last curl, however, was soon wound 
around Grace's finger, and then Rose darted away. 

She soon returned, saying : 

" Frank was up and gone. O, there he is now ! " 

212 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



she exclaimed, " out in the orchard wiv' Mr. Dumas. 
Do hurry, Tousin Grace ! " 

But, by the time Grace, in her fresh morning 
wrapper, with a cluster of scarlet verbenas and 
geranium leaves at her throat, and with each one 




of the little girls by the hand, reached the orchard, 
Mr. Dumas had gone. 

" How provoking ! " exclaimed Rose. 

" Never mind," said Grace. 

" Please tell us about the wobin, first," said Rose. 

213 



THE BIRDS CONCERT, 



" The robin is the most common, as well as the 
most interesting of all our birds. Its name is from 
the Latin word rubeo- — to be red — a name common 
to all red-breasted birds. It belongs to the family 
Turdidoe, It comes to us early in spring, and re- 
mains until late in autumn." 

" Why, Cousin Grace, I thought the robin staid 
all winter," said May. 

" Many of them do ; but in that case, they keep 
on the sunny side of woods, or else try to protect 
themselves from the cold by seeking coverts in deep 
tangled thickets. Sometimes, intense cold and 
hunger bring them around our doors to seek for 
crumbs ; and, again, if they find the weather very 
cold, many move just a little way farther South, as if 
disliking to quit their old home all at once. Their 
song is sweet and musical, and hearing it so early 
in the spring, before scarce any of the migratory 
birds have returned, we appreciate it. The Ameri- 
can robin is also known under the name of the 
migrating thrush. They are often seen very late 
even in Massachusetts, until their store of winter 
berries gives out, and then they move farther 
South. The red-breast generally builds among the 

214 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



roots of trees, near the ground. The nest is a 
bunch of dried leaves, hair and moss, and lined with 
feathers. In order to conceal her little home, the 
bird covers it with leaves when she has occasion to 
leave it." 

" Now, tell us about the goldfinch. O, there's 
one, now ! " exclaimed May. 




" Why, that's just what we were talking about 
before you came out," said Frank, " Cousin Grace, 
Mr. Dumas knows more about birds than anything 
else. I had a tip-top talk with him. He says a 
pair of goldfinches have a nest here in the orchard ; 

215 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



and when I become an expert climber I shall go up 
the apple tree and see it. He says their nests are 
wrought with much care, and are very small, the 
outside being formed of fine moss, curiously woven 
together with some other material, and lined with 
horse-hair, wool, grass and sometimes with down. 
There are five speckled eggs in a nest. 

" He says these birds are very easily tamed, and 
will just as soon go in a cage and make it their 
home as not, if you'll only leave the door open so 
they can go a-visiting when they wish. They have 
company, too, sometimes ; other little goldfinches 
come to see them, and hop in and out of the cage 
perfectly at home," 

" I'm doin' to see if Mr. Dumas won't det me a 
tage dis very day 1 " exclaimed little Rose. 

" I know the goldfinch is very teachable, I once 
saw an exhibition cf goldfinches, linnets and canary 
birds. It v/as really surprising to see them around 
in silks and laces, to hear them sing, and see them 
pick up the boquets that were fiung to them almost 
v/ithout number. One almost forgot they were 
birds, they looked so wise and knowing while they 
were warblinp* sv/eetest of notes. Goldfinches arc 

210 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



very sociable and like to look at themselves in a 
mirror, not because they are vain, but because they 
fancy they see other goldfinches; a fact that has 
been proved by their taking seeds close to the glass 
to give to the imaginary ones." 

" How funny ! " exclaimed little Rose, clapping her 
hands. 




" Then, a goldfinch is almost equal to a mocking- 
bird in catchino[ the notes of other birds. I once 
heard of a goldfinch that was even able to speak a 
few words. They frequently live to the age of 
twenty years. They belong to the family FringillidcB 

217 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



and are, perhaps, the gayest-plumed of all the birds 
in the temperate zones." 

" Please, Cousin Grace, tell us something about 
the mocking-bird. Mr. Dumas was telling me this 
morning that a mocking-bird made her nest in an 
apple-tree close to the house, but because he just 
looked into it once, she would never come near it 
again. He says they are very shy." 

" So they are. but are best known for their power 
of mimicry. They can imitate the notes of any 
known bird from the screech of the eagle down to 
the gentle buzz of the humming-bird. It can mew 
like a cat, and make a grating noise like the creak- 
ing of a hinge. The Mexicans call it, " The Bird 
of Four Hundred Tongues." They often begin 
with their own compositions, and finish by imitating 
every bird they have ever heard. They are some- 
times so delighted with their own music as to dance 
to it. They belong to the family Lioc trie hides ^ order 
Insessores. They are about the size of a blackbird, 
only more slender. The feathers are gray, and con- 
siderably lighter under than above. Now, Rose, do 
you think you will know it when you see it '^. " 

218 



THE BIRDS CONCERT 



" I dess so. I know I sail if it mews like a kitty. 
O, see that pretty little red bird with a bonnet on its 
head ! There ! there ! " And Rose pointed to a 
new comer that had alighted on a twig near by. 

" That's a ruby-crested wren," said Grace. " I 
never saw birds so tame as thev are here. 




" That is because Uncle John and Aunt Jerusha 
won't have them hurt, Mr. Dumas says," said Frank. 

" You see that the head and upper part of the 
body of this wren are of a deep reddish brown. 



221 



THE birds' concert. 



Above each eye there is a white streak. The throat is 
of a yellowish-white color. This bird is a very sweet 
singer, its w^arble is something like a common wren's." 

" O, I know what a tommon wren is," said Rose. 
" It looks dust like a little, tiny bit of a brown hen, 
with its tail hoisted up, don't it. May ? " 

" Yes, dearie." 

" What do they eat ? " asked May. 

" Tiny insects which they find in the crevices 
of the bark of trees, or catch while they are flying. 
Their nests are very interesting, and resemble 
those of the chaffinches. They are frequently found 
among the tip-top branches of fir trees, swinging 
about in high winds like a pendulum. They are 
egg-shaped, very deep, and have little holes near the 
middle to serve as doors. They lay from a dozen 
to a dozen and a half of little speckled eggs, not 
much larger than peas. They remain with us during 
the whole year, and belong to the family Turdida^ 
same as robins." 

" Its nest must be something like the tailor- 
bird's," said Frank 

" The tailor-bird displays more ingenuity in con- 
structing her nest than any other known bird. 

222 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



What can you tell us about the tailor-bird, Frank? " 
" Mr. Dumas told me such lots about birds this 
morning. He has been to India and seen the cun- 
ning little tailor-bird for himselt" 
Is it very small ? " 




" O yes, so small, its nest is made of two leaves 
hanging from the most slender twigs on the outmost 
branches of the trees." 

223 



THE birds' concert. 



" How does he form a nest from two leaves ? " 

" Why, he actually sews, just like a woman. He 
tears off the thread-like filaments from plants or 
trees, and then with his beak sews the two leaves 
snugly together. He lines this bag with feathers and 
soft vegetable down as thick as he can, forming a 
cunning little purse-like nest, and there they lay two 
cunning little eggs, and rear two cunning little birds. 
Did you ever hear about it, Cousin Grace ? " 

" I have read of them. An old lady once said she 
thought, with a little pains, the tailor-bird might be 
taught to sew. Just imagine how funny a little bird, 
not more than three inches in length, would look sit- 
ting in a rocking chair sewing on a lady's dress ! 
The tailor-bird belongs to the genus Sylvia, family 
SylvicolidcBr 

" O, what a pretty name ! " exclaimed May. 

" Yes, isn't it 1 It means the warbler family. It 
comprises a large numJDcr of small insessorial birds, 
most of them noted for their powers of song. These 
little birds are the smallest in the world with the 
exception of the humming-birds. Groups of this 
family are distributed all over the world." 

" What else did Mr. Dumas say? " asked Rose. 

224 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



" He saw a curious bird in Australia, the ham- 
mock-bird." 

" That land of birds ! " exclaimed Grace. 

" He says the hammock-bird hangs its nest to a 
slender branch, as the sailor does his hammock. 




His nest is built of grass and wool, and lined with 
snow-white cotton, and there the hammock-bird sits 
and swings back and forth as lazily and comfortably 
as you please." 

" And, Rose, then he told me about a bird you 

225 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



would like, I know ; it was the bower-bird, Austra- 
lian too. He says ' it builds a great long play-house, 
just to run up and down in '." 

" Why-e-e, Frank Ellerton ! " exclaimed Rose. 

" Yes, they make a bower right through some tall 
grass, and the first thing they put in their nice par- 
lor is a carpet they weave themselves out of coarse 
grass and sticks. After they get the carpet laid, 
and the walls arched to just suit, they hunt around 
for pretty things to decorate the room. They carry 
in broken bits of glass, china, pretty little shells, 
bright colored ribbons, in fact, all the white and 
bright colored objects they can pick up. They don't 
lay their eggs there, but run up and down, having a 
merry time many hours in the day." 

"Wonder if 'em would let little dirls play wiv 
' em ! " remarked Rose. 

" They'd think little girls were giants pretty 
likely. Did you ever hear of these birds, Cousin 
Grace?" 

" I must confess that I never have heard of the 
hammock-bird before ; but I have read of the bower- 
birds. They belong to the genus CJilamydera, fam- 
ily, StuTJiidcB, or Starling family." 

226 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



" O, there is a tiny, little bit of a bird all dreen and 
red ! " exclaimed Rose. 

'' Where ? " asked May. 

" There, right there ! He's dot his long bill 'tuck 
in a dreat, bid flower, and he teeps his wings doin' 
all the time, dust as if he hadn't any foots." 

" Why, it's a humming-bird. Isn't he a beauty, 
Cousin Grace } " asked May. 




" He's a real, little sparkler, that's what he is ! " 
exclaimed Grace, as delighted as Rose. 

" Is he tissin' the flower — Tousin Grace ? " asked 
Rose. 

• "His motions are graceful enough to make one 
think so, as he darts here and there ; but he is 

227 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



sucking honey from the flowers. Aren't they pretty 
little cups to drink from.? No wonder he is so 
gentle with them." 

" Do the humming-birds feed on nothing but 
honey ? " asked May. 

" It was thought so for a long time, but it has 
been found that they eat insects occasionally. They 
have tongues like the wood-peckers, which are capa- 
ble of being darted to a considerable distance. The 
one Rose just now pointed out to us is the topaz- 
throated humming-bird. But the most common one, 
is the ruby-throated." 

" How I should like to hold one in my hand ! " 
exclaimed May. 

" One rarely has the good fortune to catch a 
humming-bird, but I once caught two, and held 
them in my hand for a long time," 

" O Cousin Grace, how did you do it ? " 

" One of them flew into my sleeping room and 
couldn't find its way out, and I caught it struggling 
against a window pane, Another one I caught in 
the same way in a school-room. Poor little birds ! 
they cannot understand the mysteries of glass. 
Why they cannot pass through into the air and sun- 

228 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



shine displayed so temptingly without, is more than 
they know; so they flutter and tremible, their little 
hearts filled with a strange, awful terror. The little 
one I caught was so frightened as to faint, or else 
he feigned himself dead. They say they often do 
this, but imm.ediately come to, if you relax your 




grasp. Those I caught were both ruby-throated, 
but the green of their backs and breasts changed to 
purple, to blue, to gold, and I know not how many 
more colors in a moment. No brush could paint 

229 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



the gorgeous interchangeable colors of these beauti- 
ful little birds. Let me read you from this morn- 
ing's Transcript an experience of a gentleman with 
some humming-birds. 

"TWO RARE VISITORS. 

'' Lempster, N. H., Aug. 15, 1878. 

" To the Editor of the Transcript : While sit- 
ting at my study-table, Sunday morning last, I heard 
a slight rustle above, and, looking up, I saw a beau- 
tiful humming-bird alight on a picture in front of 
me. Softly approaching the little stranger, which 
seemed to be quite tame, it was easily secured. 
Placing it in a small bird-cage, it was found that its 
tiny form could slip between the bars with the 
greatest ease ; so cotton strands were woven between 
them. Thinking we had got the bit of a bird se- 
cure, the cage was placed upon my writing-desk. 
Leaving the apartment for a few minutes, I found on 
returning that the delicate little fellow, 

*' Whose dim shape had quivered about 
Some sweet rich heart of a rose " 

SO many times, had now escaped his prison and lay 
upon the floor, quite dead. Now comes the stran- 
gest part of our story. 

" On Tuesday morning the windows of this apart- 

230 




The Topaz-theoated Humming-bird. 



THE birds' concert. 



ment were raised, leaving the dead humming-bird in 
a small vase upon one of the sills. An hour or two 
afterward my youngest daughter, straying into the 
room, heard 

" 'A hum like the eerie noise 
Of an elfin spinning wheel,' 

and, glancing around, she saw another gorgeous 
humming-bird darting between the folds of the lace 
curtains. This bird was probably the mate of the 
one that lay in its little alabaster vase upon the sill. 
Pet ran into the kitchen with the strange tidings, 
and another daughter hastened into the room and at 
once secured the bird, which, like the other, did not 
seem a bit frightened by the contact of a careful 
hand. This second pet was placed beneath a dish 
screen in a large flat pan, and, as soon as flowers 
dusted with sugar were put under, went busily to 
work with its long, slim bill gathering sweets, and 
did not seem the least surprised when curious little 
faces surrounded it. A deep glass dish was filled 
with water and placed inside, which was used as a 
bath-tub by the dainty creature as soon as it was 
espied by those eyes that looked so much like small 
bright black beads. Greatly to the amusement of 
the children, birdie would poise itself for an instant 
in mid-air, and then suddenly plunge into the dish, 

233 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



shaking its glittering plumage as it emerged, so 
gracefully, again and again ! 

" * And then, from the shape's vague sheen 
Deep lustres of blue would float, 
That melted in luminous green 
Round a glimmer of ruby throat.' 

" But, alas ! while we were absent, having a wire 
netting placed inside the bird-cage for the security of 
our ' half-gem,' a neighbor drove up with his two red- 
cheeked little ones, and the eldest, a three-year-old 
Miss Mischief, spied the bird in a chair on the 
piazza, and there was a sudden rush, a lifting of the 
dish screen by its knob on the top, and our second 
prize was gone " over the hills and far away ! " 

" We have again raised the window of the room, 
but shall we catch another humming-bird without 
salt ! Ah, we fear it will be a long day, a distant 
twilight hour, ere such a dainty prize 

" ' Fleetly across the gloom 
With tremulous shape will dart ' 

into a humble poet's study again. 

" George B. Griffith. " 

" What a naughty baby ! '' said Frank. 
" Did you ever see a humming-birds riest.f* " asked 
Frank. 



234 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



" No, I never have had that good fortune. Their 
nests are very difficult to find, being formed princi- 
pally of little moss-lichens, or cups, that grow on 
trees, and arranged so as to look like a mere knob 
on a tree. Of course, they are very small. There 
are only two eggs, and they no larger than peas. 
The humming-birds are ready to show fight on the 
slightest provocation. If you touch their young 
they will dart around your head and face with the 
greatest fury. They have been known to put an 
eagle to flight by darting at his head and between 
his wings. Their flight is so swift that they fear 
nothing so long as they are on the wing. It is a 
native of America, and for a long time we claimed 
sole possession of this beautiful little bird ; but other 
countries came forward with their humming-birds. 
There are the African humming-birds, which con- 
struct a long, mossy-looking nest choosing some 
long blade-like leaves projecting over the water, and 
there they flit around seeming to be holding a con- 
sultation at times as to whether they shall line the 
nest or not ; but, at last, they always make it just 
as soft and downy as possible, for the wee birdie- 



235 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



babies to come. They belong to the family Trocki- 
lidcB which contains over three hundred species." 

" Cousin Grace, is the fork-tailed goat-sucker a 
humming-bird } " asked Frank. 

" No ; what made you think so } " 

" I have seen the picture of a goat-sucker, but 
could get little idea of its size from that." 

" If you would look at the bird's bill you would 
soon see it is no relation to the humming-bird. 
Goat-suckers belong to the family Cap^^mulgidce, 
the same as the whippoorwills. They feed upon 
insects which they capture while upon wing." 

" But they have such a funny name. Why are 
they called goat-suckers ? " 

" From a silly superstition that they suck goats. 
Their mouths seem something like frogs, and look 
as if they would make good suckers, I suppose. In 
fact, these birds have, largely, the habits of owls." 

" Tell us something about owls," pleaded May. 

" No more time this morning. We must take 
up owls another time. Frank and May may now 
sum up what they have learned, and then we must 
go in to breakfast. Rose, what do you remember 
about the robin ? " 

236 




The Afeican Humming-bird. 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



" It has a beyeuful wed breast, and its name is 
from wubeo, wed, I 'member that. It likes to pick 
up crumbs and we hear it sing early in the spring. 
I don't 'member the family." 

" Turdid(^y' said May, and it is of the order 
Ins ess ores r 

" Very good. Now, Frank, tell us of the mocking- 
bird." 

" It belongs to the class Vertebrates, order Inses- 
sores, izTciA-y Lioctrichidoe',' answered Frank, readily. 

" Let me tell about goldfinches," said May. 
" They are of the class Vertebrates, order Insessores, 
family Frhigillidcs. I remember this family from 
the ^ ox A f ringer 

" Fri7igillid(B does not come from the word fringe, 
but means, simply, the finch and sparrow family. 
However, a good way to remember hard words is to 
connect them with something familiar. Now, Rose, 
what about the ruby-crested wren ? " 

"The one wiv a bonnet on his head — a wed 
bonnet 1 " 

Grace nodded. 

" I 'members Vertebrates, 'tause we've had that so 
much, and 'tause I know all little birds have a back 

239 



THE BIRDS CONCERT. 



bone, and I dess he is an Insessore, too, 'tause he 
perches, but I don't know nofifin' about his family." 

" Don't you remember — the same as the robin ? " 

Rose shook her head. 

" Turdidcs',' answered May. 

" The tailor, hammock and bower-birds '^. " asked 
Grace, nodding to Frank. 

" Belong to the same class and order as the ones 
we have just spoken of. The tailor-bird belongs to 
the family — " 

^^ Sylvicolidce,'' interrupted May. 

" Cousin Grace, there was nothing said about the 
hammock-birds' family, but I remember Mr. Dumas 
said it belonged to the family of honey-eaters. 
Then must it not belong to the Trochilidoe, the same 
family as the humming-birds } — I'm sure they are 
honey-eaters." 

" Yes, I think you are right, but we will let Mr. 
Dumas settle that question." 

" Then you said the bower-birds belonged to the 
family Sturnidce^ the starling family, and the goat- 
sucker belongs to the family Caprimulgidoe, the 
same as the whippoorwill.''' 

" Very good. And there's the breakfast-bell." 

240 




The Common Snipe. 




CHAPTER II. 



THE SNIPES NEST. 



" I have found a snipe's nest ! Who wants to see 
it ? " called out Mr. Dumas one morning, in cheery 
tones, as he came out where the children were at 
play in the orchard. 

" I ! I ! me too ! " cried all the children. " Where 
is it?" 

" In the meadow. It is damp down there, so you 
all better put on your rubbers." 

243 



THE SNIPES NEST. 



" Tan Tousin Grace go, too ? " asked Rose. 

" Of course ! " he replied, snatching up the Httle 
girl and kissing her. 

May and Rose both ran to the house and soon 
returned with their cousin, all equipped for the walk. 

" Now, if you'll be very careful, and not make 
too much noise, you may be able to see the snipe 
herself, for, through the day, she generally keeps 
close to the ground among the tall grass and rushes. 
Ah ! there she stands. Now, just beside her, down 
on the ground, in a soft, green, mossy nest, are four 
pretty spotted eggs." 

" What a long bill ! " said May. 

" Yes ; its bill measures some three inches, and is 
very slender." 

" He's dot long legs, too," said Rose. 

" Yes ; long bills almost always go with long legs. 
Can you tell me why ? " 

" They have long legs with which to wade," said 
Frank. 

" Then the snipe is a wading bird ? ' 

" I suppose he wades some, judging by his legs." 

" You are right. But why must long legs be 
accompanied by a long beak ? " 

244 




The Snipe. 



THE snipe's nest. 



" I think I know, sir. So that the bird can pick 
his food out of the mud or water, in which he 
wades." 

" Yes ; the snipe probes down into the soft moss 
bog, or mud, with his sensitive bill and brings up the 
insects, bugs and worms on which he feeds. His 
beak is endowed with the finest sense of touch, so 
that he picks up by feeling, for it is generally at 
night, in the darkness, when he seeks his food. 
When pursued, he keeps near ground, and has a 
funny idea that if he only hides his head under his 
feathers no one can see him." 

" What a silly bird !" laughed May. 

" Yes, stupidness is characteristic of it. You can 
see that it has a stupid appearance. Though it 
keeps near the ground during the day it flies so high 
at night as to be almost out of sight. The snipe is 
considered one of the very best of game-birds. It 
IS very fat, yet rarely disagrees with the weakest 
stomachs, and is a delicious and well-flavored article 
of food. It belongs to the family Scolopacidcer 

"Isn't the woodcock very closely allied to the 
snipe ? " asked Grace. 

" Is very much like the snipe in many respects. 

247 



THE SNIPE S NEST. 



Its eyes are even farther back in the head, and 
though its bill looks the same, it is much stouter, 
and its legs are short, robust and feathered to the 
knees, consequently it doesn't wade much, but bores 
with its beak for its food which it finds on drier 
ground than does the snipe. Like the snipe, the 
woodcock keeps secluded in the woods by day, 
flying and feeding at night. It makes its nest 
down in the moss, or in some hollow stump, and 
lays the same number of eggs as does the snipe. 
The woodcock is a very faithful parent. She tends 
her young with the greatest care, and sometimes 
carries them on her back, or, in her claws, when 
she thinks they are threatened with danger. It 
belongs to the same family as the snipe. 

" What kind of a bird is that, Mr. Dumas ? " asked 
Frank, pointing to a bird running swiftly on the 
ground. 

" Another marsh-bird, and the most beautiful of 
them all. Like the snipe and woodcock it is shy, 
and hides during the day, coming out early in the 
evening, or very early in the morning to seek its 
food. It is called the rail. It runs swiftly, as you 
see, and is distinguished by its long, slender toes. 

248 




The Woodcock. 



THE SNIPE § NEST. 



When pursued it often seeks refuge in the water by 
swimming out and diving under the surface so cau- 
tiously as not to be seen, and sometimes clings to 
the reeds under the water with its long, slender 
toes until often it can scarcely recover its breath. 
Even when wounded it often outwits its pursuer and 
makes its escape. They breed in thickets and 
marshes, near water, sometimes constructing their 
nests so that they will float. They feed upon 
insects as well as upon seeds and vegetables. They 
belong to the family Rallidce and to the order Nat(i- 
toresr 

" Are there any grebes around here 1 " asked 
Frank. 

" What do you know about grebes } " asked Grace. 

" May and I were looking at a picture of a crested 
grebe the other day. They are like ducks, are they 
not?'* 

" They belong to the same family, though none of 
them are seen in the United States save in winter 
when they are journeying leisurely towards the 
South. They often migrate by water instead of 
on wing. Their feet are large and webbed. Like 
the rail, when alarmed, they seek the water, and 

251 



THE SNIPES NEST. 



remain under it for a long time with only their bills 
exposed. 

" The nest of the crested grebe is made of rushes, 
and, like the rail's is so constructed as to float on 
the water, the female keeping fast to her nest during 
the highest rise of tide, amply protected by the thick- 
ness and oiliness of her ' plumage. The grebe is 




as careful a parent as the woodcock. She often 
takes her brood on her back, or under her wings, 
if they are in danger, or show signs of fatigue. She 
feeds them partly with small fish and eels, and 
partly with vegetables. In Switzerland the young 
are killed and their beautiful skins, especially the 

252 




The Ratl. 



THE SNIPE S NEST. 



breast-covering, is dressed with the feathers on, and 
made into muffs and tippets. It belongs to the fam- 
ily Colymbida and to the order Natatoresr 

" There's a queer looking bird standing yonder in 
the water. What is he doing ? " asked May. 

" That is the rufus-necked pelican of our country. 
Its prevailing color is white, as is that of the com- 
mon pelican found in the old world ; but there they 
are larger than a swan." 

"What a funny bill he has!" said May. "And 
what is that bag under his lower bill for t " 

" That is his pocket, or game-bag, which nature 
has furnished him, in which to stow away the fish he 
catches before swallowing it ; and it is indeed sur- 
prising, the extent that this pouch can be stretched. 
It can be made to hold a great many fish. The pel- 
ican's mode of fishing is to rise upon wing about 
thirty or forty feet above the surface of the sea, keep 
one eye downward, intently scanning the water until 
a fish rises near the surface ; then with unerring 
aim he darts down like a flash and stows that fish 
down in his pouch. In this way he continues fish- 
ing until his pocket is full. Then he returns to the 
shore and devours his food, first pressing his pouch 

255 



THE SNIPE S NEST. 



against his breast to empty it of the fish. ' This 
bird is one of the most sluggish and voracious of all 
the feathered tribes ; ' quoting from another ; yet he is 
affectionate and kind, not only to his own family, but 
to any brother or sister pelicans in distress. The 
male bird makes a very tender husband, for he feeds 
Mrs. Pelican during the whole time she is sitting, as 
tenderly as though she was a helpless little one, 
unable to leave in quest of her own food.. A writer 
of the History of Mexico says the natives have a trick 
of breaking a pelican's wing, then tying the suffering 
bird to a tree so they can gain a supply of fish with- 
out any trouble ; for, you see, the wounded bird 
begins to scream pitifully with the pain in her wing 
and the efforts she makes to escape, until numbers 
of pelicans are attracted, each one disgorging some 
of the fish from his well-stocked pouch for the 
imprisoned bird. Then the men who have concealed 
themselves, suddenly spring out and bear away 
nearly all the fish. The American pelicans are 
often found fishing in shallow water ; and, sometimes 
a fish-hawk hidden away on some high tree, watching 
all the movements of the fishing pelican, succeeds 
many times in stealing the fish that the pelican 

256 



THE SNIPES NEST. 



was just about to stow away in her pouch. The 
pelican belongs to the PelicaitidcB family, and to 
the order Anseres or Natatores. 

" There is a very singular bird I have seen 
in. South America," continued Mr. Dumas, "which 




appears to have the power of walking on water. It 
belongs to the same family as does the rail, and is 
about the size of a pigeon except for its long legs, 
and extraordinary long and wide extended toes. 

257 



THE SNIPES NEST. 



Now, you all know of course, that a bird's swimming 
is simply a walking in water — that the duck or 
goose simply keeps putting one leg ahead of the 
other, just the same as if she was walking on land — 
but how are you going to account for a bird walking 
in water ! " 

" It cannot be done," cried Frank and May. 

" I will tell you how it appears so. This long- 
legged, long-toed bird, called the jacana, is so light 
of body, and her toes extend over so much surface, 
that she iinds no difficulty in v/alking over the 
broad leaves of aquatic plants, her weight being just 
enough to sink the leaves a little way under the 
surface, making her look precisely as if she was 
walking on the water. They walk upon floating 
leaves for the sake of obtaining their food which 
consists of worms, insects and fish," 

" Look there, Mr. Dumas ! Isn't that a wild 
turkey ? " asked Frank, 

" Yes ; vv^e are very fortunate to-day in seeing so 
many birds." 

" That is the very first v/ild turkey I ever saw," 
said Frank. 

" They are not very plentiful in this vicinity." 

258 



THE snipe's nest. 



" See the tints of bronze and green shining out 
from his coat of black ! " said Grace. 

" Why does he wear his whis'ers so low down ? " 
asked Rose, referring to the long tuft of black hairs 
on his breast. 

" No accounting for turkey-taste. He is an Amer- 
ican bird and was not introduced into England until 
the reign of Henry the Eighth. The tame turkeys 
are simply wild turkeys, domesticated. They are 
noble-looking, and have the power of raising and 
expanding the feathers in the tail until they look 
like a spread fan. The female generally hides her 
nest from the gobbler, lest in his loneliness and a 
desire for her company, he destroy the eggs. A 
gentleman tells the story of a gobbler becoming so 
dejected during the absence of the hen that he was 
placed on the nest beside her. This seemed to 
please the gobbler very much. He scratched out 
some of the eggs and sat upon them by her side. 
The gentleman seeing this procured a large number 
of eggs, and placed them under the gobbler. The 
bird seemed very proud of them, and would scarcely 
leave them long enough to take any food. At the 
usual period, twenty-eight little turkeys were hatched, 

261 



THE SNIPES NEST. 



but the turkey seemed at a loss to know how to 
rear them, so they were taken away from him and 
raised by hand. The hen-turkey is gentler than the 
gobbler. She does not cover her young with her 
wings if any danger is nigh, but is always sure to 
see danger soon enough to warn her birds with a 
loud piercing scream, so that they have time to hide 
under bushes, or skulk close to the ground. Wild 
turkeys are gregarious, associating in flocks. They 
roost in the great swamps of America during the 
night, but leave about sunrise to search in the woods 
for acorns and berries. They are a Galli7zaceous 
bird, and belong to the family Phasianidoer 

"What kind of a bird is that? " asked May. 

" Ah ! that is the cuckoo, little idler that he is," 
replied Mr. Dumas. 

•' Why do you call him an idler ? " asked May. 

" Because he is too lazy even to make his own 
nest, laying his eggs in the nest of another bird 
when the proprietress is absent. A mother-bird 
very often finds one of her birdies larger than the 
others but has not sense enough to know that this 
big fellow is only an intruder ; and if he keeps on 
growing until he becomes so large as to crowd out 

262 



THE SNIPE S NEST. 



all her own little ones, she never knows any differ- 
ence, but goes on feeding the one great bird that is left 
her. The cuckoo is about fourteen inches in length 
and twenty-five in breadth. His throat is pale gray, 
his back a dove-color, and his breast white, crossed 
with black lines." 




" Mr. Dumas," said Grace, who had been waiting 
some time for a chance to speak, " do you know, 
some natural historians claim for the American 
cuckoo an entire absence of all the ugly traits 
ascribed to the European species ? They say the 

263 



THE SNIPES NEST. 



American cuckoo makes her own nest and rears her 
own young." 

" So there are instances where the European 
cuckoo has been known to do the same ; but, as a 
general thing, both species deposit their one ^^^ in 
the nest of some small bird. Whether the mother- 
cuckoo thinks her time too short in temperate coun- 
tries to construct her own nest, or whether she can- 
not find material or a position to suit her, I do not 
know ; but I do know that I have often seen a cuckoo 
hatched in another bird's nest, and I have seen 
the greedy cuckoo-baby plough up under the little 
birds that have a real right to their nest, and get 
them, one by one, on her back, between her shoul- 
ders, and push with them to the edge of the nest, and 
then cruelly throw them over the edge to perish, 
while she remained behind to receive all the care and 
all the food from her foster-parents. The cuckoo be- 
longs to the Cuculidce family and the order ScansoresT 

Meantime, the whole party had come out into the 
public road and were walking leisurely along when 
they came to a little low brown farm-house. Here 
Rose declared she must have a drink of water, and 
they all entered the little front gate. 

264 



THE SNIPE S NEST. 



" Thirsty, are you? "said the mistress of the 
house. " Just come in and sit down and I'll get you 
as cold a glass of water as you ever drank." 

Grace sat down in the rocking chair, the three 
children found a place on the sofa, and Mr. Dumas 
remained standing near the door. 

May leaned forward to get a view of a picture on 
a little round table, when a voice was heard, " Youd 
better look out ! " 

The children were astonished and looked wonder- 
ingly from one to the other. 

" Youd better look out I " came again from an 
unknown quarter, and directly after May felt a peck 
at the top of her shoe. Frightened she sprang up 
and cautiously gazed under the sofa, and what was 
her surprise to see a parrot ! Again it cried : " Youd 
better look out'.' and made a dash for Rose's little leg. 
Now the children were very much amused, and 
Mr. Dumas began to talk with the bird; but for 
some reason Polly was in a bad mood. She told 
the visitors to " Shut up," and that " they'd better 
go home," until the woman returned with the 
water and chided the bird for her inhospitality. 



THE SNIPES NEST. 



" The parrot always seems out of place in our 
country after having seen them so frequently under 
their own native skies," said Mr. Dumas, when they 
had left the house. 

" Do tell us something about them, Mr. Dumas," 
cried the children. 

" Many a time have I seen a little Hindoo boy 
swinging in his hammock under the grand, old trees, 
while the little squirrels perched on his hand to eat 
their nuts, and the parrots looked down from the 
branches above to chatter and scold. 

" One little Hindoo boy, in particular, was so much 
beloved by them that all the animals seemed to vie 
with each other, as to which should receive the most 
favors at his hand. A green parrot used often to 
show the jealousy in her nature by ruffling her 
feathers and angrily calling out to the squirrels to 
beware ! and if the warning was not heeded she 
would fly down and knock the squirrel from off the 
boy's hand. Parrots have very beautiful plumage, 
and can be taught to say more words than any other 
bird in the world ; yet for all that there is always 
something disagreeable about Polly. She has a 




The Jealous Paeeot. 



THE SNIPE S NEST. 



wicked eye, and, for my part, I prefer a little singing- 
bird for a pet. " 

" So do I," said Grace. " Fine feathers are all 
very well to look at, but real heart-enjoyment comes 
from something which has the power to touch the 
emotions." 

" I should like to understand how it is the parrot 
can be taught to speak so plain," said Frank. 

" It seems owing to the shape of their beaks and 
tongues. The upper division of the parrot's beak is 
not only hooked and pierced with nostrils at its 
base, but is movable. The bird can move the upper 
part of her beak in the same manner that we work 
the lower jaw. Then her tongue is broad and blunt, 
and besides being movable the upper mandible is 
toothed. Of all the parrots I consider the ash- 
colored the most intelligent. It seems to have the 
faculty of answering questions, one right after 
another, in the most sensible manner. Going up to 
a parrot that was making a great fuss one morning, 
I said, " Polly, what's the matter ? " " Polly wants a 
cracker," she replied. " Want a cracker ? " I re- 
peated. " Yes, I do," she replied, eying me earnestly. 
As I had no crackers I passed on while she called 

269 



THE SNIPES NEST. 



after me in the greatest rage : " You old fool, you ! 
You old fool, fool, fool !" 

The children laughed heartily, 

" The parrot belongs to the order Scansores and 
to the family Psittacidcs. This family includes 
cockatoos, lories, macaws, paroquets, etc." 

" Why, I have seen a paroquet," said Frank. " It 




is a beautiful bird, about as large as a dove, and 
has a longer tail than the parrot. Its feathers are 
a light green, tinged with blue or purple." 

" The paroquet is the only species that is a native 
of the United States. Their favorite food is the 
seeds of the cockleburr, which grows in great quan- 

270 




The Toucan. 



THE SNIPES NEST. 



titles on the banks of the Mississippi and Ohio 
rivers. Another bird belonging to the same order is 
the toucan. It has the strangest bill, broad and thick 
and long as its body, almost. In fact, it is immense. 
The toucan is found in South America, and is some 
times called ' Parson Toucan,' because one keeps 
chattering continually from his perch on some high 
tree, while a number of his companions sit on the 
branches beneath him, fast asleep. But the fact is 
he is only a sentinel keeping watch lest they be 
surprised by some of their numerous enemies — t)ie 
monkeys being the most feared. The female builds 
her nest in the holes of trees, and there she sits in 
the hole defending herself and nest with her great 
beak. However, this beak looks more terrible than 
it really is, some natural historians saying that it 
is very weak, and only a shell to protect a more 
powerful tongue. Others say that the long beak is 
given to the bird to dive down into small birds' 
nests, and to draw up the eggs and the young for 
her food. The largest of these species is the toco- 
toucan. Such is the structure of their bills that 
there is no danger of mistaking them for any other 
bird. They belong to the family Ramphasidoer 

273 



THE SNIPES NEST. 



The children now began to sum up what they 
had learned: 

" Snipes and woodcocks belong to the order Gral- 
latores^ and to the family ScolopacidcB, The rail and 
the jacana belong to the order Natatores, and to the 
Rallidce family. The grebe and the pelican to the 
order Natatores, the grebe to the Colymbidce family, 
and the pelican to the Pelicanidce. Turkeys be- 
long to the order Rasores, and to the family Phasi- 
anida. The cuckoo to the order Scansores and 
to the Cuculidce family. Parrots to the same order 
as the cuckoo, and to the family Psittacidoe. The 
toucan to the order Scansores^ and to the family 
Ramphasidcer 



274 




>^ «.v 






CHAPTER IIL 



BOB WHITE. 



One day, the family at Aunt Jerusha's were sitting 
out in the vine-covered portico enjoying the fresh 
forenoon air, the children at play in sight, when 
Rose came running up to the house, slinging her 
little pink sun-bonnet by one string, while her face 
was red with heat. 

" I tan't find him anywhere, and I Ve been huntin* 
an' huntin' ! " she panted, stumbling up the steps, and 
finally ensconcing herself in Mr. Dumas' lap. 

275 



BOB WHITE. 



" Whom do you want to find ? " asked Mr. Dumas. 

" Why a little boy named ' Bob White.' I heard 
somebody call him eber so many times, and I 
hunted, too, and touldn't find him. Do you know 
where he libs, Mr. Dumas ? " 

" Wasn't it a bird you heard ? " laughed Mr. 
Dumas. 
^" You J^now little birds tan't talk ! " 

" Some of them can, if they are taught. And some 
of the notes which untaught birds utter, sound 
distinctly like words in our language. There is a 
bird that says ' Whip-poor-will ' as plain as anything, 
so that is what they named the bird. There is a 
bird that says ' Bob White,' and that bird is a quail. 
You can see them almost any time in grain-fields, 
for there, right upon the ground, is where they build 
their nests and fill them full of eggs — a dozen or 
more. But if any one comes near, they fly up, and 
flutter around just as if they were disabled, and 
make you believe you could easily catch them ; but, 
trying, you find it is not quite so easy as you thought, 
for they are only drawing you away from their nests, 
and as soon as they have accomplished their 
designs, you find out they were not lame at all, only 

276 




"Bob White." 



BOB WHITE. 



making believe. As it comes near hatching time, 
they sit so constantly as to be scarce aware of 
danger though ever so threatening. I once knew a 
poor quail who would not leave her hatching brood 
until a reaping-machine actually cut off her legs 
and, with a cry of distress, away she flew without 
any legs. Whatever became of her no body ever 
knew; but the next day, a little girl, not much 
larger than Rose here, found a dozen cold eggs and 
a pair of quail's legs. The little thing carried them 
home and tried to blow them so that she could 
string them on a string, but not one of them would 
blow, because every one of them had a poor, dear 
little dead quail in it, just ready to hatch." 

Rose gave a sigh of sympathy and laid her cheek 
down in Mr. Dumas' coat-collar. 

" All little quails, however, don't come to such a 
sad end, for I often see papa and mamma quails stalk- 
ing about grain-fields, followed by great families of 
little ones. Mr. Quail seems as fond of his chicks 
as Mrs. Quail, often scratching for food and calling 
them to it, and sitting down close with the mother- 
bird to help cover them when they are cold." 



279 



BOB WHITE. 



" Mr. Dumas, what difference is there between the 
quail and partridge ? " asked Frank. 

" Some naturalists say they are the same bird, 
only in New England, New York, New Jersey, and 
westward, it is called the quail; while in Pennsyl- 
vania and southward it is called he partridge ; I am 
not inclined to accept that statement. However the 
term partridge is so confusedly applied that it is 
difficult telling just where the dividing line comes. 
Both are Gallinacious birds, both belong to the 
family Perdicidcs and both to the same genus, Ortyx\ 
yet they are different species. Quails are smaller 
than partridges. Partridges have a naked place 
between the eyes, and the figure of a horseshoe on 
their breasts ; quails have not. Quails do not lay so 
many eggs as the partridge, and they are different in 
color ; yet they feed, form their nests, and rear their 
young in the same way. Quails are so plentiful in 
some parts of the old world that a hundred thousand 
have been caught in one day within the space of 
three or four miles. Those which are found in the 
country through which the Israelites passed on their 
way to Canaan, are of remarkably large size. Twice, 
when these people murmured for flesh, large quan- 

280 



QQ 

g 




BOB WHITE. 



tities of quails were sent, until each family collected 
about eighty bushels, and they feasted and feasted 
until they became sick." 

" I suppose. Miss Montague, coming from the 
West, you know more about grouse, than quails or 
partridges, though all belong to the grouse tribe ? " 

" I have seen a great many pinnated grouse, or 
prairie-chickens. We think it the queen of its 
tribe." 

" Well, you are right, take it altogether. I sup- 
pose its flesh is most excellent } " 

"Delicious. No other fowl can compare with it." 

" How much will one weigh 1 " 

" About three pounds. The male bird looks sin- 
gular, because of a tiny pair of wings, composed 
of eighteen feathers, which are attached to his 
neck." 

" Does he fly with them t " asked May. 

"No; they only seem an odd sort of ornament; 
and in addition to these wings, right under them, 
are two loose, hanging, wrinkled skins, which, when 
inflated with air, resemble in size and color, a 
middle-sized orange. The chin is cream-colored, 
the upper parts of the bird mottled with black, 

283 



BOB WHITE. 



reddish-brown and white; the under parts are pale 
brown marked transversely with white. The female 
is less than the male, is without the throat-wings 
and the yellow skin on the neck, and is lighter in 
color. The noise made by the male is also peculiar. 
In fact, this noise is something like ventriloquism. 
It does not strike those who are near with much 
force, but deceives them with the idea that it is 
two or three miles away, when it is close by. The 
female protects her young in the same way as the 
partridge and quail. Grouse is the common name 
of the family Tetraonidce^ belonging to the order 
Rasores, 

" I think your western pinnated grouse somewhat 
resembles the ruffled grouse found north of Mary- 
land 1 " said Mr. Dumas. 

" Not largely. The pinnated grouse are found on 
the open prairies, while the ruffled grouse prefer the 
woods, and love solitude, and wander forth alone in 
search of their food. This bird is sometimes called 
the ' drummer,' because it has a way of calling its 
favorite mate by striking its wings upon a log, on 
the ground, or against its breast, sounding very much 
like the roll of a drum. He gets his name from 

284 




American Partridge. 



BOB WHITE. 



the fact that when he raises his tail and struts like 
a turkey-cock, there is a ruffle of feathers which 
stands up around his neck. They lay their eggs by 
the side of fallen trees or the roots of standing ones 
and protect their young in the way common to the 
tribe." 

" Did you ever see a ptarmigan or a white grouse ? " 
asked Mr. Dumas. 

" I think not." 

" I have. They are not much larger than pigeons. 
In the summer their plumage is a light brown, some- 
what spotted, the wings and under parts white, but 
in winter, after they have shed their feathers they 
become a pure white ; besides every feather becomes 
double, and the legs, thickly feathered, so that the} 
are well protected from the cold. Near the first of 
October they assemble in flocks of a hundred or 
more, and live among the willows, eating the tops. 
In December they leave the vicinity of Hudson's 
bay to seek mountain-berries. If the hen-bird be 
killed, the male will not leave her, but submit to 
being killed also." 

" Mr. Dumas, did you ever see a lyre-pheasant ? " 
asked Frank. 

287 



BOB WHITE. 



" A lyre-pheasant ? " repeated Mr. Dumas, slowly. 
" You must mean the lyre-bird." 

"Isn't it a pheasant?" 

" No, it is not so large as a pheasant. It may be 
be found in Australia, and belongs to the family 
MenuridcE, order Insessores, It is called the lyre- 
bird, because when displaying itself like a peacock, 
the tail takes the form of a lyre or harp, being com- 
posed of three kinds of feathers. It is shy and 
difficult to find. It is almost equal to our mocking- 
bird in its song, also in imitating other birds. It can 
even bark like a dog " 

" Mr. Dumas, since you have been everywhere, 
have you seen any real, live ostriches .f* " asked Frank. 

" Plenty of them." 

" Aren't they as large as a man ? " 

" O, a great deal taller than a man ! " exclaimed 
May. 

" Well," said Mr. Dumas, " they measure from 
seven to nine feet when their long necks are ele- 
vated. They are found in the sandy deserts of Asia 
and Africa. They are jet black, mostly, with the 
exception of a few, long snowy plumes, sticking in 
their tails and wings." 

288 




The Prairie Hen. 



BOB WHITE. 



" I've dot a dreat, long white one all around my 
best hat," spoke up Rose. 

" Are they ever found in our country ? " asked 
Frank. 

" In South America ; but they are not so large 
as those of the Old world, and their plumage is 
very little valued, it being a dull gray and not half 
so finely formed. The ostrich lays its great eggs in 
the hot sand, leaving the heat to act upon them by 
day, but setting upon them at night. If a person 
so much as touches one of their eggs, it makes them 
so angry that they trample every one to pieces, and 
leave them forever. The ostrich can run faster 
than the fleetest horse. She raises her wings, which 
assist her flight, like two sails. The Greeks call 
the ostrich the camel-bird, and she can be tamed 
and taught to take the place of a horse or camel 
often bearing burdens on her back. It is no uncom- 
mon sight to see ostriches ridden by negroes. Some- 
times a hungry ostrich will steal around a negro's 
hut and feast upon the little ducks it finds about 
the door, the native woman only coming out in 
time to save a single little duck of a whole flock. 
I once went ostrich-hunting with a party of men, 

291 



BOB WHITE. 



We mounted horses and sallied forth with our fire- 
arms. The ostrich first attacked always runs in a 
circuitous direction, and such a time as we had run- 
ning around, until we tired that bird down ! I think 
a dozen of us tried it, and we tired our horses out. 
But at last it was accomplished, and the ostrich 
was shot. The natives take them by stratagem. 
One of them clothes himself with the skin of an 
ostrich, and thus is able to get near enough to 
surprise the whole flock. Two companions and 
myself once made a very hearty breakfast from a 
cooked ostrich egg, 

" Are they good to eat ? " asked Frank. 

" They are considered such a great delicacy at the 
Cape of Good Hope, that they are sold for twelve 
cents a piece." 

" They must be enormous," said Grace. 

" They are ; and from the great thickness and 
strength of their shells they can be preserved, even 
at sea, for a long time." 

" How do they cook them ? " asked Grace. 

" There are various modes ; but the best way is 
to bury them in hot ashes, then make a hole in j;he 
upper end, large enough to admit a spoon or stick, 

292 




The Ruffled Grouse. 



BOB WHITE. 



and stir the contents until they are as thick as an 
omelet. Sometimes, a number of egg-shaped peb- 
bles are found in the egg. Of course, they are very 
small, not much larger than a bean, but are exceed- 
ingly hard and of a buff color. I have found as 
many as twelve in one egg. I will show you some 
buttons made from them," Mr. Dumas soon 
returned and handed to Grace a small card to which 
were attached a dozen buttons, telling her she might 
like to keep them as curiosities. 

He also presented Frank with a cup made from 
an ostrich egg-shell, and to each one of the little 
girls he gave a necklace made from bits of ostrich 
eggs, cut into the form of tiny rings, and linked 
together. 

" I am afraid you have robbed your cabinet," said 
Grace. 

" O no, I still have retained some feathers, and a 
piece of leather made by an Arab, from ostrich 
skin." 

" But how do the buttons get inside of the egg } 
that's what I'd like to know ! " said Frank. 

" Some of their food, of course, goes to form the 
egg, and the ostrich swallows a strange medley of 

295 



BOB WHITE. 



stuff ; I have seen them swallow nails, stones, rags 
and leather, with the greatest gusto. Still it may be 
that the pebbles are a formation natural to their 
eggs. Ostriches are very kind to persons with 
whom they are familiar, but fierce towards strangers. 
They act as if they thought strangers had no busi- 
ness to be in the vicinity, sometimes running after 
them and trying to trample them down. When 
fierce they hiss like a snake. When about being 
overcome by an enemy they cackle like a goose. 
At night they make a hideous, doleful sound some- 
thing like the distant roaring of a lion. The 
ostrich runs very much like a partridge ; and you 
can see that if the partridge had as long legs as the 
ostrich, how much greater speed he could attain ! " 

" I know the partridge can run faster than a man," 
said Grace. 

" The ostrich belongs to the order of Cursores, and 
to the family, StruihionidcB, from the Latin word 
Struthio, an ostrich. To this family belong birds 
that only possess the rudiments of wings and have 
long, stout legs. The word Cursores comes from 
the Latin word curro to run." 

" Mr. Dumas, May and I found a picture yester- 

296 




Thj5 Ostrich's Breakfast. 



BOB WHITE. 



day in Aunt Jerusha's scrap-book of some kind of a 
bird and there was no name to it. I don't know 
what people want to make pictures for without any 
names," said Frank. 
" Describe it." 




" It was a great, big bird, with long legs ; and there 
were some little ones too. I will go and bring the 
book. 

299 



BOB WHITE. 



" The old bird doesn't seem to have any wings," 
said Frank, as he opened the book and laid it upon 
Mr. Dumas' knees. 

" I don't think this a very good picture ; but if 
you look closely in the back-ground you will see two 
or three of the birds, standing on twigs, looking 
intently down in the water as if watching for fish. 
In one of Jules Michelet's books, I remember read- 
ing this : ' In the morasses of the Carolinas, Alex- 
ander Wilson, in 1805, found families of the heron 
teaching their young birds how to fly and seek their 
prey. His was the first human face they ever saw, 
and they met him with clapping of wings and 
hoarse cries of welcome.' The herons belong to the 
waders, and are of the family Ardeidce. They have 
strong, straight beaks, long, slender legs with three 
toes in front, the two outer ones connected by a web, 
and one, back. Its plumage is a sort of a bluish-ash, 
its average length, from the point of its beak to the 
end of its tail, is about three feet. Their food is 
fish, and they often stand by the hour catching them 
by a single dart of their beak. They build their 
nests on trees with sticks, and line them with dried 
grass and wool. They lay five or six eggs of a 

300 




Lyre Birds. 



BOB WHITE. 



greenish-blue color. They are said to live to a very 
great age. The stork, famous for the care and 
attention it gives to its aged parents belongs to the 
heron tribe : and the cranes — you've all seen a 
crane, I suppose ?" 

" I sawed one the uwer day down in the marsh. 
A dreat, bid bird walkin ' on stilts — only Frank said 
there wasn't stilts, they was legs." 

" That is true," laughed Mr. Dumas, " they are 
waders, and noted for their long legs. But the 
largest crane I ever saw was the adjutant or gigantic 
crane. They are found in Bengal and Calcutta, are 
from five to seven feet in height, and at a distance look 
almost like gray-haired men. The bill is immense, 
sometimes measuring sixteen inches round at the 
base. Its plumage is of the same color as the 
heron's. Its craw hangs down like a pouch. 

" Its aspect is disgusting, yet it is a useful bird, 
destroying snakes, insects and noxious reptiles. 
They sometimes feed on fish, one of them eating 
enough for four men. They seem the most vora- 
cious of all birds. A man who had a tame one had 
constantly to watch, that it might not eat up every 
thing that came in its way. It would often snatch a 

3(^ 



BOB WHITE. 



whole, roasted fowl from the table and swallow 
it at one mouthful. A shin of beef cracked in 
the middle made it two mouthfuls. They belong to 
the same family and order as the herons." 

" I do not suppose adjutants can beat secretary- 
birds killing snakes ? " smiled Grace. 

" No ; those secretary-birds are the true serpent- 
eaters. They belong to an entirely different order 
and family. The name ' secretary ' was given to it by 
the colonists of Cape of Good Hope, because they 
fancied its crest of feathers which can be raised and 
depressed at pleasure, looked like a pen sticking 
behind a secretary's ear. It feeds on reptiles of all 
kinds, but prefers snakes. It is of a bluish-gray 
color, and in form resembles both the crane and the 
eagle, having a head very much like an eagle and 
a body somewhat like a crane. When standing 
erect it measures about three feet. The legs are 
long and stouter than those of a heron. It is a 
native of Asia, Africa and the Philippine Islands. 
Naturalists place it among the families of the Fal- 
conidoe and the Vulturidoe. Indeed, some call it the 
secretary-falcon altogether. Serpents are numerous 
in all countries which these birds inhabit. When 

304 




Thk Ptarmigan. 



BOB WHITE. 



the secretary approaches a snake, it always carries 
the point of one of its wings forward, naaking the 
hard quills shield its breast from the reptile's venom- 
ous bites. Sometimes, it treads upon the serpent, 
again, takes it up on its pinions and flings it in the 
air until it is senseless, when it kills and swallows it 
at leisure, without danger. 

" I have read M. Le Vaillant's account of a battle 
between a secretary-falcon and a serpent. It was 
obstinate on both sides. When the serpent found 
he was beginning to lose strength, he tried to reach 
its hole by all the cunning that is attributed to the 
tribe. But the bird cut him off upon every side 
until, at last, the serpent, perfectly exasperated 
erected itself and hissed terribly, its head swollen 
and its eyes inflamed with rage and venom. The 
bird, sometimes, seemed almost frightened, and 
again, would return to the charge, and covering her 
body with one of her wings, struck her enemy with 
the bony protuberance on the other. At last the 
serpent staggered and fell, then the bird rushed 
upon him, laying open his skull with one stroke of 
the beak. At this instant M. Le Vaillant fired and 
killed the bird. In her craw were found eleven large 

307 



BOB WHITE. 



lizards ; eleven small tortoises, three serpents, each 
as long as his arm ; and a number of locusts and 
other insects sufficiently entire to be preserved 
and added to a collection. In addition to all this 
there was a ball as large as the head of a goose, 
formed of the vertebra of serpents and lizards, shells 
of tortoises, and wings and claws of different kinds 
of beetles. The secretary-falcon makes its nest of 
twigs, lined with wool and feathers, near the top of 
some high tree, and so well concealed as not to be 
easily discovered. It lays two or three eggs almost 
as large as those of a goose. The young ones 
remain in the nest a long time because their legs are 
so long and slender they cannot easily stand upon 
them until they arrive at almost mature size." 

" Now, children, cannot you show Mr. Dumas 
how well you remember what he has told you, not 
only the descriptive part but the scientific terms 
employed ? " asked Grace. " Rose, first." 

" Twails, partwidges and grouses, make their 
nests on the dround, and lays ever so many eggs, 
then they's makes b'lieve they's lame if anybody 
tomes too near em. Then the pretty lyre-birds 
hoist up their tails like harps. And the ostrich likes 

308 



BOB WHITE. 



little ducks for its breakfas' and it eats stones, nails 
and old rags, and somehow or uver, the stones gets 
in 'em eggs, and Mr. Dumas dive some of the buttons 
to my Tousin Grace that was made of the little 
'tones. The ostrich lays dreat bid eggs in the hot 
sand, and me and May's dot a pretty necklace made 
of their egg-shells, and Fank's dot a pretty cup. 
The ostrich runs faster than a horse, and will take 
anybody widing on his back if he's tame. Herons 
have dot dreat long legs like cranes, and 'em shows 
their little birds how to tatch fish. The 'jutant is 
a dreat, bid ugly bird, what looks like grandpapas, 
and they eats, oh ! an awful sight. Then, there's 
the secretary-bird wiv lots of twills on his head, and 
he kills oh! lots and lots of snakes — and I wish he 
was here to kill all the black snakes so 'em touldn't 
eat all our pretty little birds up.' 

Mr. Dumas was not only very much amused, but 
much surprised that " such a baby " had such a 
retentive memory. 

Then Frank and May rattled away : 

" Birds belong to the class Vertebrates, Quails 
and partridges belong to an order of birds called 
Rasores. Also are called gallinacious birds. They 

311 



BOB WHITE. 



belong to the family PerdicidcB, and to the genus 
Ortyx. Grouse belong to the same order, but to 
the family TetraonidcB. Pheasants belong to the 
order Rasores, and to the family Phasianidce, Lyre- 
birds belong to the order Insessores, and to the 
family Menuridcs, Ostriches belong to the order 
Cursores, and to the family Struthionidce, Herons 
are waders, therefore, belong to the order Grallatores, 
from Grallcs, stilts ; and to the family Ardeida. 
Secretary-birds belong to the families FalconidcB and 
Vulturidoe, and are rapacious birds belonging to 
the order — I don't think you mentioned an order 
for the last-named bird, Mr. Dumas," said Frank as 
both he and May hesitated for a moment. 

" To the Accipitres or Raptores',' added Mr. 
Dumas, quickly. " Now, tell me, please, how you 
remember such hard names ? " 

"Why," said May," when we have the meaning 
of the words, it helps us remember a great deal 
better. But when Cousin Grace does not think it 
necessary to tell us about the Latin and Greek 
roots, why, then we associate some familiar word 
with the one given, and thus remember it. Now, 
the word Raptores, is a very easy one to remember 

312 




Feeding Her Babies. 



BOB WHITE. 



from the word Raptures. We have only to think 
that the secretary-bird is so earnest in killing snakes 
and after her prey, that's it a sort of rapture to her, 
and then we remember it." 

" Very good, indeed. Now let me tell you the 
meaning of the words. Raptores, the Latin \^ plun- 
derers ; and Accipitres comes from the Latin word, 
Accipiter, a hawk." 

" To-day, has been just the nicest one yet," whis- 
pered May to Grace. 

" That proves you are becoming more interested, 
for which we ought to thank Mr. Dumas," said 
Grace, aloud. 



315 




CHAPTER IV. 



KENNY S GOSLINGS. 



Back and forth, now at Aunt Jerusha's, and now 
at their home in the city, Grace and the children 
spent the days until late in autumn. 

One day a " wonder-walk " had taken them about 
two miles out of the city. They had just crossed a 
cool-looking stream, when they came suddenly upon 
Pat Ryan and a little boy of about seven years, 
sitting on the banks watching some geese and 
pretty little velvety goslings swimming about. 

316 



o 

CO 




KENNY S GOSLINGS. 



Grace thought she had never seen a more beau- 
tiful child ; he had fair, clustering hair, pink cheeks 
and deep blue kindling eyes. He was carrying on 
an animated conversation with Pat about the geese. 

Pat hastily got up and touching his hat, said : 

" Good mornin', mum." 

" And who is this little boy you have with you ? " 
asked Grace. 

" Me brother Kenny, mum," said Pat, proudly. 

" Then you live near here ? " 

" Yis, mum ; yonder's the house," and Pat pointed 
out a little, old-fashioned, one-storied house, with 
two or three great, tall cherry trees in the rear. 

" O, pretty, pretty little ducks," said Rose, planting 
her chubby little hands on her knees in delight. 

" Ducks ! " laughed Pat. " They are geese, sissy." 

The tiny student in Natural History was crest- 
fallen over her mistake, and shrank behind her 
cousin's skirts. 

" Never mind, darling," said Grace, " for they 
do belong to the duck tribe." 

" Eh ! " said Pat. " Sure, an' I don't see any more 
why a goose is loike a duck than loike a chicken." 

" Nevertheless," said Grace, " geese and ducks are 

319 



KENNY S GOSLINGS. 



both Anseres. I mean by that they are swimmers. 
Kenny, boy, will you let us sit down, and see your 
little goslings ? " 

"O, yes, mem," said Kenny, so pleased that they 
liked his pets. 

" What do you know about the pretty goslings ? " 
asked Grace. 

" I feed them," said Kenny, proudly. 

"What else .^" asked Grace. 

Kenny hung his head. 

" Please, mum, he doesn't loike to talk much 
before strangers. When he gets acquainted he'll 
talk fast enough, to be sure, now." 

" Well, perhaps you know somxcthing of their 
habits, Pat?" 

" Sure, there is not much to know jist about a 
goose. I could tell you ten things about a bee or 
an anty-mire — but a goose — I'd 'no though but 
she do hev some curious ways. I loikes to help 
Kenny hunt their eggs. It's great, big eggs they 
lay, and kiver 'em all up so they think you can't 
find 'em, and if they catch a feller afther their eggs 
they'll pounce upon him and flounder 'em with their 
wings — don't they, Kenny ? " 

.'520 



KENNY S GOSLINGS. 



" Yes," said Kenny, gravely. " They don't know 
we want the eggs to take care of 'em and gin' em 
back to 'em agin. 

" You see," continued Pat, " most ivery good goose 
will begin layin' by Valentine's day, and it's too cold 
to lave them out. Me mither puts them in a basket 
with cotton all over, and keeps them in a warm 
place till the goose is ready to sit on them." 

" O, they're all comin' out of the water ! " ex- 
claimed Rose. " I am doin' to catch one of the 
little dooses," and. away she ran, stooping to take 
up one of the goslings. The next moment she 
gave a scream and let it fall, for an old gander had 
given a hiss, and stretched out his long neck after 
her. 

" That's the little gosling's papa," said Kenny, as 
Rose buried her face in her cousin's lap. " He don't 
like you to touch his babies." 

" I don't love 'im a bit. He might know I 
wouldn't hurt his little doslings," pouted Rose. 

" Did you ever see a wild goose, Pat ? " asked 
Grace. 

" I hev. I've seen 'em fly over mony a time, great 
long strings of 'em, sometimes in the shape of a 

321 



KENNY S GOSLINGS. 



letter T, sometimes loike a Y with a long tail, then, 
again, loike a V or a W." 

" Indeed ! " said Grace, " I thought it was always 
like the letter V." 

" Oh, no mum. I've seen 'em many a time. They 
look loike strakes of silver against the blue sky they 
fly so high, mum." 




** Do they always fly high ? " 

" Mostly ; always when they are on their way 
down South — when they fly low it is a sign of a 
moild winter:' 

" Did you ever see them ctcp to rest ? " 



KENNY S GOSLINGS. 



" Yis, mum, but they're very skeery loike, always 
on the look-out. It's no aisy matther to catch a wild 
goose, mum." 

" A ' wild-goose chase' is proverbial I believe ; yet 
our tame geese originated from the wild geese." 

" That so, mum ? " 

" Where do you suppose wild geese make their 
nests ? " asked Frank. 

" Down among sedges and coarse grasses in 
marshy districts, or on the banks of rivers and 
creeks. At least the snow-goose {Anserhyperboreas) 
does and the Canada or cravat-goose {Anser-Cana- 
densis) The Canada-goose is the common wild 
goose of the United States — a dark grey with a 
black tail, feet and bill. The snow-goose is pure 
white with deep, red feet and legs." 

" Some of Kenny's geese are white and some 
grey," said May. 

" Then Kenny has both species. There are 
several species, found in nearly all parts of the 
world. It was a good idea to domesticate them as 
there is no more useful bird, Their feathers and 
down are very valuable. We all know the luxury of 
a soft goose-feather-bed." 

323 



KENNY S GOSLINGS. 



" It's fun to pick ' em alive," laughed Pat. " You 
ought to see ' em squirm and writhe, mother 
a-wrapping their long necks tight in her apron, their 
under her arms, and then they looks so funny-loike 
runnin' off afther they are picked ! " 

" I think that's cruel," said May. 

" Why, they'd shed their fathers if we didn't pick 
them, sure. Miss, and besides when the wither is so 
warm-loike they feel nice and cool afther they're 
picked." 

" Cousin Grace, you said geese belonged to the 
duck tribe. Please tell us something about ducks 
too." 

" Well take notes then." 

The children got out their books and pencils, and 
Grace began. 

" Anatida, the duck tribe, are an extensive family 
of birds of the order Anseres or Natatores ; Anseres 
means Swimmers, Natatores an order of birds that 
are web-footed, with a thick coat of down under 
their feathers, an oily secretion covering their feath- 
ers which keeps them from getting wet." 

" Sure, mum, and I've often wondered why you 
could never wet a duck," said Pat. 

324 



KENNY S GOSLINGS. 



" Natatores are divided into eight families ; Ana- 
tid(B, or ducks ; AlcidcE, or auks ; Laridce, or gulls ; 
SulidcB, or gannets ; PlolidcB, or darters ; Colym- 
bida, or divers; Tachypedics, or man-of-war-birds; 
Procellaridce, or petrels ; P halacrocoracidoe, or cor- 
morants." 

"Whew!" exclaimed Frank, succeeding in getting 
the last-named family down after asking his cousin 
how to spell it for about the tenth time. 

" Sure, mum, and it must be Goose-L3.tin you are 
afther teaching the children now," laughed Pat. 

" Goose-Greek, I guess," laughed Grace, " from 
the Greek terminations all the words have. 

" Please, Cousin Grace, I want to learn Doose- 
drease, too." pleaded Rose, 

" Goose-grase, " roared Pat, rolling on the grass in 
his merriment, while the others laughed almost as 
heartily. 

Poor little Rose didn't relish being laughed at 
quite so frequently, so she buried her face in the 
neck of her cousin's dress. 

" We've got plenty of goose-grase in the house to 
be sure. It's illigant for croup or the sore throat 
I hope the little darlint wont need it," said Pat. 

325 



KENNY S GOSLINGS. 



" I think you're real naughty to laugh at such a 
little bit of a girl," spoke up Kenny. 

Rose peeped at her defender slily, and Grace re- 
sumed : " I knew a gentleman that used to be fond 
of hunting wild ducks. He had wooden decoy 
ducks that he used to put out on the water to attract 




other ducks. Just how, I do not know, but he used 
to take a great many; but I never relished them 
much, they tasted fishy. But almost everybody is 
fond of them. There are a great many species of 
ducks. Among the handsomest is the green-winged 
seal. It is common to the temperate zones of 

326 



KENNY S GOSLINGS. 



both continents. It feeds on seeds, aquatic plants 
and insects. It constructs its nest of coarse 
grasses, and lines it with feathers. The femalj 
takes the whole charge of her brood. Then 
there is the wood-duck, a perfect beauty, with 
green and gold, and purple and black, and some- 
times white, in its feathers. It builds its nest in 
a hollow tree, often choosing the deserted hole of a 
big woodpecker. So naturally do ducks take to 
the water that almost the very moment they hatch, 
the little ones scrabble to the edge of the nest, and 
if they see water under them they let themselves 
drop, daring little birds that they are ! If the nest 
is away up high, then the old bird takes them up 
in her bill, one by one, and carries them to the 
water. They are crowned with a flowing crest, 
which I suppose the great naturalist, Linnaeus, 
thought resembled a bridal vail, since he gave this 
species the title of Spousa, or the Bride. But the 
most beautiful of all the duck tribe are the swans. 
Poets have raved about their grace and beauty, and 
natural historians expatiated on it. There are sev- 
eral species of swans." 

" Don't swans look like geese '^. " asked Frank. 



327 



KENNY S GOSLINGS. 



" Yes, only the goose is clumsy and awkward while 
the swan is the embodiment of grace and dignity. 
The neck is much longer than the goose's, and 
curved beautifully. There are the whistling swans, 
the mute swans and the black swans." 




" I never heard of a black swan. I thought they 
were all snov/y white," said May. 

" In Australia, that greatest of all places to turn 
out strange birds, jet black swans have been found, 



828 



KENNY S GOSLINGS. 



and some few captured and domesticated. The 
most remarkable thing about the whistling swan is 
its windpipe. It is formed like a trumpet, enabling 
the swan to utter a loud, clear note. The Icelanders 
compare it to the notes of a violin when heard away 
up above them in the air." 

" Cousin Grace, is it true the swan sings the 
sweetest when she is dying ? " asked Frank. 

" So the ancients thought. But the tame or mute 
swan is unable to utter a sound, save a hiss on being 
provoked. The swan is able to swim faster than a 
man can walk, and when they are flying before a 
strong wind, proceed at the rate of a hundred miles 
an hour. They are also very strong, being able to 
knock a man down with a single stroke of a wing. 
They make their nests the same as wild geese and 
ducks, among the grass and reeds. The little young 
ones are called cygnets. The swan is said to live 
a hundred years. 

" Now, children, what can you ' tell me about the 
duck tribe ? " 

" I know they are Oviparous Vertebrate animals," 
said Frank. 

" I know they are Mpeds, two-footed," said May= 

329 



KENNY S GOSLINGS. 



" I was just thinking whether they were carniver- 
ous or herbiverous said," Frank. 

" Birds, Hke quadrupeds, are distinguished into 
kinds or classes, graniverous and carniverousr 

" Then the duck tribe 2.x^ graniverous, as they feed 
principally upon grain," said May. 



^.../ 




" Write this in your books : " Birds are divided 
into six orders, namely — Rapacious birds. Passer- 
ines, Climbers, Gallinaceous, Waders and Palmipedes, 
the latter being the same as Natatores, It is very 
easy to remember the word Palmipede, when we 



KENNY S GOSLINGS. 



think of its origin, for it comes from palma, the 
palm of the hand, and pedes, foot, and means broad- 
footed, having the toes connected by a membrane, 
just adapting the duck tribe for swimming." 

" Pat, have you any chickens ? " asked Grace, turn- 
ing the subject. 

*' O, yis, mum, stacks of 'em, runnin' all around 
the barn and door-yard, sure, now. Will you go 
and see 'em, mum ? " 

" Not to-day, I guess. We will come, sometime, 
however. But we will eat lunch here, and you and 
Kenny shall be our guests, if you will. Then we 
must go into the wood to gather mosses." 



S31 




CHAPTER V. 



THE DUTCH WOMAN AND HER PETS. 



" Don't let us go and see Pat, to-day," said May. 
"I know a little girl who lives almost out in the 
country, and I want to go there." 

" Very well," said Grace, " you shall be the guide." 
So May took Rose, while Grace and Frank walked 
behind with the lunch. 

It was a long distance and little Rose soon became 
tired. 



THE DUTCH WOMAN AND HER PETS. 



" Let US step in this shop and rest," said Grace. 
" If we buy some of that molasses candy in the 
window, the old woman will let us sit down while we 
eat it." So the children followed their cousin and 
stood beside her before the counter while she made 
the purchase. 

" Can we sit down and rest awhile ? " asked Grace. 
"Little Rose, here, is very tired." 

The old woman brought four chairs and the party 
sat munching their candy in silence until Rose broke 
the silence : 

" Cousin Grace, what's that ? " 

" What, darling ? " 

" Why, that noise. It sounds like a little wooster 
crowin' down cellar." 

The old woman heard the little girl and answered : 
" Reeng-dopes ! reeng-dopes ! " 

But none of the party understood her. She 
pointed behind the counter, saying, " Here dey are." 

They were all soon standing before a latticed box 
looking at two beautiful amber-colored birds with a 
ring of white feathers around their necks. 

" Pigeons ? " said Frank. 

" Reeng-dopes, reeng-dopes," repeated the woman. 

333 



THE DUTCH WOMAN AND HER PETS. 



" They are ring-doves," said Grace. " We might 
know by the white ruffs they wear. " 

" But they belong to the pigeon tribe, don't they ? " 
asked Frank. 

" O yes, they are a pigeon just as much as those 
which fly about the city that we see every day, only 
they are a different species. All our tame pigeons 
originated from the rock-dove — doves which live in 
rocks instead of among trees, and for whom man 
builds a wooden-box called the dove-cot. The rock- 
dove, Columba-livia is gray with changing hues of 
green and purple around the neck and throat. These 
are the first ring-doves I ever saw. How long have 
you had them ? " asked Grace, turning to the woman. 

" Most a year. They takes all de sickness from 
de house." 

" The what .^ " asked Grace. 

" De seeckness. When I be in de old country I 
was seek mit de head-ache all de time. Got de 
reeng-dopes and I neper hab de head-ache any 
more." 

" Why, how is that ? " asked Grace. 

" I don't know," replied the woman shaking her 
head mysteriously, " but it is so. When I was in 

834 



THE DUTCH WOMAN AND HER PETS. 

de old country I hab pains in me eyes, got de reeng- 
dopes and neber hab bat eyes any more." 

Grace smiled, and then asked " Do they breed 
here ? " 

" Ya. Got some squaps out in de garden." 




" What does she mean ? " asked Frank. 
" Squabs are young pigeons or doves." 
" Coom dis way ant I shows you," said the woman. 
The party, very much interested, followed the old 
woman. 



THE DUTCH WOMAN AND HER PETS. 



" I don't see how you can get ring-doves to breed 
in a box," said Grace, " for they Hve among trees, 
building their nest on boughs as a general thing." 

" I did hab trouple at first, but after awhile dey 
comp out all right." Parting some bushes, they 
beheld two fat little doves standing so close together 
their feathers mingled, and right before them, creep- 
ing slowly along as if entirely unconscious of danger, 
was a great green and bronze rose-chafer. 

" Looking for their breakfasts," whispered Grace. 

Rose pressed forward, her eyes round and big 
with intense surprise. The little birds were evi- 
dently holding a consultation as to whether the 
immense beetle was too large for attack. At last 
one little bird made a venture and pecked the 
beetle's hard-shelled back. But the beetle evidently 
did not like the idea of making a breakfast for two 
hungry little birds, so he stretched a pair of gauzy 
wings and with a loud " hum-m " flew away. 

*' Poor little disappointed birds !" exclaimed Grace, 
taking the cover from the lunch-basket, and scatter- 
ing a few crumbs before them. 

" Did you eper sees a peacock } " asked the Dutch 
woman. 



THE DUTCH WOMAN AND HER PETS. 



'\No, no," cried the children. " Have you one ? " 

" Veil, comes dis way and I shows you." 

" I want to ask you a few more questions about 
the ring-dove," said Grace. " I believe doves and 
pigeons never hatch more than two young ones at 
once ? " 

" No, ma'am, dey lays deir eggs in tree days and 
hatch dem in pifteen more. De pemale sets all 
night and te male in te tay-dime: but tey hab 
seberal broods in te year, because, you see, de old 
birds only hap to keep 'em warm tree days, and feed 
'em den tays, then dey ish ready to dake care tem- 
selpes." 

" What do the old ones feed their babies with ? " 
asked Grace. 

" While te hen ish settin' her crop swells, and dere 
ish milk in her crop likes curd, and for tree 
tays she feeds de babies dis curd from her bill. Den 
after dat she gives 'em somefing else mixed mit te 
curd. Dat's te way she feets tem. Miss." 

" Thank you very much." 

" Tere ish no one knows more 'bout pigeons and 
dopes dan I do. I have had lots of pigeons in my 
life-dime. Dere ish one feller, I likes to show 'im 

339 



THE DUTCH WOMAN AND HER PETS, 



but haven't got 'im now. He wash te pouter. He 
would get as proud as a puffed-up pull-frog, and fill 
his crops wit air until he looked as if he would 
purst, den te utter pigeons would get jealous and 
pick de pouter's crop to let te wind out, and den 
de pouter would die. Neber could keep a pouter, 
no way. Da ish too proud.' 

" Did you ever see a carrier-pigeon ? " 

" Blenty of tern in te old country. Te carrier, 
pigeon ish dark plue or plack, and you may always 
knows him py te pig ring of naked skin around his 
eyes. Dish is te way dey do it. A lady pays a visit 
to her frend who keeps carrier-pigeons. She tinks 
she'd like to sends her frend a letter right quicks 
soon as she gets home, so she dakes a carrier- 
pigeon and soon as she gets home mit it, she writes 
a letter and dies It unter te birt's wing, den lets te 
birt go. Te birt flies straight back to its home, and 
its meestrees gets de letter. Te carrier-pigeon can 
flies tirty miles in an hour." 

At this moment the harsh screech of a pea-fowl 
was heard, and the party moved^ on to the bottom 
of the yard. There they found Mr. Peafowl, perched 
on the fence, his long, magnificent train of sparkl- 

340 



THE DUTCH WOMAN AND HER PETS. 



ing hues touching the very ground in its richness. 
" O-h-h ! " exclaimed little Rose, clasping her 
hands tightly, and almost holding her breath. 




" O, I wish he would hoist up his tail like I've 
seen it in pictures ! " exclaimed May. 

" His train is not his tail, but a continuation of 

341 



THE DUTCH WOMAN AND HER PETS. 



the feathers on his back," said Grace. " If he would 
but lift up his cloak, you might see a row of stiff 
feathers sticking up all around for a tail. They also 
give support to his long train." 

The Dutch woman then talked to the pea-fowl 
until he began strutting proudly, and at last raised 
his glittering, sparkling train, until it stood all out 
around his neck and head like an immense, a very 
great, immense fan. 

" O, the beauty ! " exclaimed May. 

" He doesn't belong to the pigeon tribe, does he ? " 
asked Frank. 

" No, indeed," said Grace. " There are but four 
known species of peacocks. 'The common kind, such 
as we see here, came either from Asia or Africa. 
Then there is a species peculiar to China, another 
to Thibet, and another to Japan. You may hunt 
for those places on your maps to-night." 

" He's not quite so proud in the fall when all his 
prettiest feathers coomes out. You ought to sees 
him skulk out of sight as if he was ashamed mit 
himself, but in te spring he gets dem all pack 
prettier tan eber. ' 

" Can he see out of all his eyes } " asked little Rose. 

3^ 



THE DUTCH WOMAN AND HER PETS. 

" What do you mean, dear ? " asked Grace. 

" Why all his eyes on his tail ? " 

" O, they are only pictures of eyes," said Grace. 

" Did Dod paint ' em there ? " 

" Of course," said Grace. " It is God who makes 
everything pretty." 

" I wish Dod would paint all little birds' tails so." 

" If all the little birds were burdened down with 
such tails they couldn't fly. The peacock can 
scarcely fly at all. When he wants to get up he 
has to climb. Now which would you rather have 
were you a little bird, a beautiful dress or be able 
to fly ! " 

" O, I should want to fly," said Rose. 

" Have you any little pea-fowls ? " asked May. 

" No, I ain't got ground enough to keeps a flock. 
Den de male is always cross to his little birds. He 
kills dem ofden. Te female has to hide her nest, 
always." 

"We'll not bother you longer, now" said Grace, as 
the sound of the bell on the shop door was heard. 

The children's minds were full of the peacock as 
they stepped out of the shop " Was there any other 
bird in the world so beautiful as the peacock ? ' 

343 



THE DUTCH WOMAN AND HER PETS. 



Then Grace gave an account of some birds-of- 
paradise she had seen at the Zoological gardens. 
" Ever so many years ago when the Portugese found 
the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, the natives exhibited 
the dried skins of birds, and so bright and glorious 
were they that the Portuguese were awed and called 
them ' Birds from Heaven,' and ' Birds of the 
Sun.' Afterwards other travelers thought they were 
remnants left of the Garden of Eden and so called 
them ' Birds of Paradise.' This name has clung to 
them, and it is a very appropriate one ; for that Adam 
and Eve ever looked on more beautiful birds is 
beyond the imagination of man to conceive. Just 
' imagine the forests of those islands which lie in the 
Southern Ocean between Asia and Australia, 
thronged with these beautiful birds, glimmering in 
crimson and gold ! One of these birds called the 
' king-bird ' is no larger than the crow, its body a 
russet brown, its head and neck yellow, its breast 
green, its crowning glory two long tufts of hair-like 
feathers, projecting from under its wings, just the 
color of the sun, almost too bright and glorious to look 
upon, and when the owner is in motion these feath- 
ers are raised up like the peacock's tail, over-shadow- 

344 




The Bird of Paradise. 



THE DUTCH WOMAN AND HER PETS. 



ing the rest of its body. The nest of the bird-of- 
paradise has never yet been found, and this has 
given rise to many fables. Different writers report 
that these beautiful birds never touch the ground, 
that they roost suspended by their two long feathers 
to a tree ; that the eggs are deposited by the female in 
an orifice in the male's body, where they are hatched. 
These stories are very absurd ; at least I have seen 
these birds standing upon the ground my own self, 
and as for food, they are exceedingly fond of cock- 
roaches, thus proving they are earthly. It seems 
that nearly all the grandest adjectives and richest 
Superlatives in language have been heaped upon 
these birds of gorgeous plumage. One is called the 
* greater bird-of-paradise,' another, the ' golden-bird- 
of-paradise,' another the ' superb bird-of-paradise,' 
the ' king bird-of-paradise,' the ' magnificent bird-of- 
paradise,' etc., etc. The skins of these birds are 
very valuable, being sent to all parts of India and 
Persia to adorn the turbans of people of rank. 
They are also sold to ornament trappings of horses. 
" Now let us sit down under this great tree, and 
see if we can classify the birds we have been talking 
about this morning. Let us begin with the dove." 

347 



THE DUTCH WOMAN AND HER PETS. 



" All birds are Oviperous Vertebrates, so it is not 
worth while for us to repeat that any more, is it ? " 
asked Frank. 

" Not when you are speaking of birds, if you have 
it thoroughly fixed in your memory. But I believe 
I did not give you the meaning of the orders I 
mentioned yesterday, did I ? " 

" We went to the Dictionary with our words, and 
found out for ourselves," spoke up May. 

" That was right. I am glad to see you take so 
much interest. You are going beyond all my ex- 
pectations, good children that you are Then I 
suppose you both can tell me to what order pigeons 
and doves belong ? " 

" To the Passerines',' said Frank. 

" They are Gallinaceous birds, it seems to me," 
said May. 

" Let us hear a reason from you both." 

" Why, Passerine birds have their bills of a conical 
form, pointed at the end, and the feet are formed for 
perching and hopping. More birds belong to this 
order than to any other." 

" Very true. Now, May, why do you think pig- 
eons belong to the Gallinaceous birds } " 



THE DUTCH WOMAN AND HER PETS. 

" Because — because — well, because they run 
about so much, and seem like poultry, I suppose," 
said May, hanging her head. 

" Well, let me tell you what a great naturalist says 
of the pigeon tribe, in general. He says it forms 
a connecting link between the Passerme birds and 
poultry; so that you see neither one of you are so 
very much out of the way. Now to what family of 
the Passerines do they belong ? " 

" Columba is the Latin word for dove," said Frank. 

" Then they must belong to the family Columbidcs, 
To what order does the proud peacock belong ? " 

" To the Gallinaceous birds," quickly replied both 
Frank and May. 

"And you may write down to the family of 
Pkasianidc^r 

" What is the meaning of Phasianidce ? " asked 
the children. 

" The pheasant family ; having the feet and legs 
bare, the male with one or more spurs, and the tail- 
feathers more than twelve." 

'• Birds-of-paradise are perchers, therefore they 
must belong to the Passerine birds," said Frank. 
" Family Paradiseidce, genus Paradisea, 

349 




CHAPTER VI. 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



A few days after, Grace and the children went to 
call on Pat and Kenny again, but they were nowhere 
to be seen on either side of the creek. 

" Let us go up to the house," said Grace. 

As they drew near they saw bright-faced Kenny 
tugging along a great pan of warm chicken-feed, 
while his mother, with a paddle in her hand, stood 
calling : " Chick I chick I chick ! " 

350 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



" Sure, mum," said Mrs. Ryan, " yees find me out 
with Kenny. It's much pride the darlint takes in 
the biddys." 

Rose went on with Kenny and watched the chick- 
ens feeding with intense interest. A little chick 
pecked the nail of Kenny's big toe, at which Rose 
laughed merrily. 

" They think my toe-nails are grains of corn," 
said Kenny. 

" Aunt 'Rushy does have torns on her toes — I 
wonder if they'd eat them } " said Rose, gravely. 

Kenny laughed then. He told his little play- 
fellow he didn't think those were the kind of corns 
his chickies liked. 

" Are your chickens named ? " asked May. 

" Course," said Kenny straightening up. '* One's 
Top-knot, one Biddy, one Jennie and this one is 
Brave, and the very nicest hen in all the lot." 

" Why do you call her Brave ? " asked May. 

" Because she is, isn't she, mither ? " 

" Can't ye tell the leddies the story of the nine 
little chicks ? " said Mrs, Ryan. 

Kenny blushed prettily. " Mither says it is jist as 
good as a story in a book, and it's true, ivery word." 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



Grace whispered in his ear, coaxingly, a moment. 
After a little bashful hesitation Kenny began his 
story : 

" This old hen what's name is Brave, looks like a 
rooster around her head, but she ain't, niver a bit, 
because she lays iver so many eggs and has had iver 
so many chicks of her own, hasn't she, mither } 

Mrs. Ryan nodded. 

" Well mum, Top-knot, the white one over there, 
has had lots of chickies, too, but she most always 
weans them before they 're big enough to take keer 
of thimselves. Last spring, she had nine just as 
pretty chicks as you iver seed in yer life, and she 
hed a nice little coop all to herself, but, jist like 
hersilf, when they was only three or four weeks 
old she ran off to the great big hen-roost and left 
the little chickens all alone in the coop^" 

" How tould she ! " exclaimed Rose, indignantly. 

"Well, she did it, anyway," continued Kenny^ 
"and the little chicks peeped as hard as they 
could, and ran to the roost and poked their little 
heads in at the door, and there was their mother 
away up on the roosting pole with the hens and 
roosters, and wouldn't even so much as look at her 

354 




"Take Us Ln/' 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



own little chic'ks ; so they peeped the harder, and 
then ran back as fast as they could to their coop, 
and huddled up close togither in one corner, without 
any mither's wings over thim at all. The next 
mornin', there was only four little chicks. Some- 
thing had caught and eaten five of them in the one 
night. And, when the next night come the little 
chickens didn't know what to do, for they were so 
afraid to sleep in that coop any more ; and, what 
did they do, but go to Brave and ask her to take 
keer of thim." 

" O, are you sure, right sure, Kenny } " asked Rose, 
looking him straight in the face. 

" Yis, because she was setting on a nest full of 
eggs of her own, and they went up to her and stuck 
their little heads under her feathers, and peeped as 
loud as they could. At first Brave didn't want them. 
She was afraid they might break her eggs, and then 
she wouldn't have any chicks of her own, and she 
tried to drive them away, but they coaxed and they 
cried the harder, until she saw a great, naughty cat 
watching out for them, and then she clucked two 
•or three times and let them all get under her wings, 
and they wint to her ivery night and she kivered 

357 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



thim up ivery time, until her own chicks were 
hatched, and by that time they was big enough to 
take keer of thimselves." 

" A very nice story, indeed," said Grace, giving 
the little boy a dime. 

" Can't ye tell the leddy anither story about Brave,'* 
said Mrs. Ryan. 

" At first, we didn't call her Brave, but the second 
time we thought she ought to hev some particular 
name to hersilf. There used to be a naughty little 
dog prowling around, and ivery time he saw Brave 
and her little chicks he would bark and scamper 
after them as hard as he could, just scaring the little 
chicks to death. Well, at last, Brave got tired of it 
and one day she pitched into the dog and give him 
such a whipping as he niver had in his life, before. 
He ran off yelping as hard as he could and niver 
come back any more." 

" Hurrah for Brave ! " exclaimed Frank, taking off 
his hat and waving it in the air." 

" Huwah for Bwave ! " echoed Rose. 

" Don't the hawks ever disturb your chickens ? " 
asked Grace. 

" Some, and the owls, too. But they'd rather have 

358 



'^-'^±'£^lJ, 







Brave and the Dog. 



KENNY S CHICKENS 



mice and rats when they kin catch 'em, mum'; and 
there's plenty of the loike around to be sure," said 
Mrs. Ryan. 

" Please, cousin Grace, tell us something more 
about fowls before going to hawks," said Frank. 

" What more do you wish to know ? " smiled 
Grace. 

" Whether they are American birds." 

*' No ; they came from Persia and India." 

" It doesn't seem that anything with which we are 
so familiar, ever came such a long distance," said 
Frank, in surprise. 

" It proves how highly valuable they are. There 
are riches in the business of raising them. Their 
flesh, as well as their eggs, common as they are, still 
remain a delicacy appreciated by all. There are 
several species. The common, or dung-hill fowl, 
seems to be a mixture of different birds. They 
belong to the order Rasores and to the family 
Phasianidcir 

"Why didn't you let us say it? We knew, for it 
is just the same as the pheasants," said May. 

" Well, now let us turn to hawks again. You say 
the hawks and owls would rather feed on rats and 

361 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



mice. You must have reference to the sparrow- 
hawk?' 

" A hawk that's about a foot long, I should judge, 
mum. The breast-feathers is a yellowish-white, and 
its back, a dark brown." 

" Yes, that's the sparrow-hawk. Some naturalists 
say that they never attack poultry." 

" Yis, but they will. They'll eat a little chicken 
any day, if they can get it away from its mither. 
But I've seen them pick up rats and mice much 
oftener, though." 

'* Where do they nest ? " asked Frank. 

" In some hollow tree, usually. Sometimes they 
occupy a deserted crow's nest, and lay four or five 
eggs," said Grace. 

" But isn't there a large hawk called the hen- 
hawk ? I've seen them hover over a poultry yard 
ready to make a swoop, when some one rushing out 
and crying ''Shoo! Shoo!' they would take them- 
selves off as leisurely and sulkily as you please." 

" If Pat wus here now, he'd tell yees all ye want 
to know," said Mrs. Ryan. 

" Where is Pat ? " 

" Sure and it s meself don't know," Mrs. Ryan 

;362 




Sparrow-hawk. 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



replied, with a sudden frown, '* That bye is the trial 
of me life." 

" Why, what does he do so very bad ? " asked 
Grace. 

" Sure, mum, he fills the house with live craythurs ! 
He brings black ants into the house to put on 
Kenny to make him scream, 'an he brings in bees 
an' wasps 'an first I know they are in me bread- 
risin' ! an' he brought in owls to hoot the life out of 
me ! an' some swallows to fill me bads with bad-bugs ! 
and to-day I found some ear-wigs and thousand-legs 1 
Sure, there is niver a bug in blissed old Ireland, 
thanks to the howly St. Pathrick ; and what the 
bye is thinkin' of, or who he takes afther, I can't tell 
ye, sure ! I narly bate the life out of him and it does 
no good, mum ! " 

" Can't you in some way let him have his course ? 
Pat seems to have an inquisitiveness, that if well 
trained, may make a remarkable man of him," said 
Grace, very seriously. 

" Sure, mum, and I think the less one knows 
about bugs and snakes and the likes, the better it is 
for him ! But come in and rist a while and bring 
the childthers." 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



Grace accepted the invitation, and Mrs. Ryan con- 
tinued : " He's the plague of me Hfe, sure, mum ! an' 
sure, mum, and me Httle bye Kenny is a light to me 
eyes and a joy to me heart. Pat says he wants to 
go to sea, and good luck go with him, 1 say ! " — 
Here the conversation was interrupted by Pat 
appearing in the doorway. 

A glad shine filled his eyes when he saw the 
visitors. 

"Sure, and I'm glad to see ye," he exclaimed. 
*' I've been stuffin' some birds, mum, and if mither'll 
let me take you up-stairs I'll show them." 

" And sure it's meself that doesn't keer, but you'll 
find it a dirty place, mum. It's there he goes with 
all his live craythers." 

" We were talking about hawks as you came in, 
Pat. Can you tell us anything ? " said Grace. 

" If ye'll come here to the window I'll show ye a 
fish-hawk's nest. It's clane two miles away, mum, 
and ye can see it plain." 

" O, O ! Where, where ? " cried the children. 

" Away yonder on the very tallest tree of the 
woods. Don't ye see something black on the tree, 
mum ? " 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



" Why, isn't it remarkable that we can see it at 
such a distance ? " said Grace. " But I certainly do 
see it." 

" Sure, mum, and ye ought to see it, for there's a 
wagon load of sticks in that nest, and some of them, 
the foundation of the nest, are as long and thick 
as bane-poles. That same nest has been on the top 
that same old tree for years and years, and the last 
time I wus close to it the female was there with her 
little ones, and the male was carrying a great big 
fish up to the nest, while the black-birds gabbled 
and gabbled as they flew in and out of their places." 

" Where were the black-birds ? " asked Grace. 

" Why, mum, the fish-hawk's nest is five or six 
feet in height, and the sticks are interwoven with 
corn-stalks, straw and leaves, and it is so large that 
the black-birds just build their nests all around 
on the soides. There are plenty of holes between 
the sticks, mum, and ail the black-birds have to do 
is to just line them with hay and horse-hair." 

" I should think they'd be afraid of such a big bird 
as the fish-hawk," said Frank. 

" Most small birds are afraid of large birds like the 
hawks and eagles, to be sure ; but the black-bird is a 

367 



Kenny's chickens. 



saucy little fellow — he isn't afraid, not he ! and the 
hawk never interferes with him — I've watched out 
for some such thing, but he don't." 

" Do you ever see the fish-hawk catch a fish ? " 
asked Grace. 

" Mony a toime. He flies around and around 
above the water, moving slower and slower, till, he 
only seems to keep himself up by just flappin' 
his wings. Thin all to once he shoots down into 
the wather, and comes up with a big fish in his 
claws, shaking the wather from his feathers, and 
screaming as hard as he kin." 

" What does he scream for ? ' asked May. 

" Bekase he wants his wife and children to know 
he's coming with breakfast, I s'pose. But, some- 
times, the bald-headed eagle hears him, and comes to 
breakfast, too. Away he puts after the hawk, an' 
the hawk fights, but he generally gets tired out, and 
has to drop the fish, and then the eagle pounces 
down and grabs the fish before it reaches the water." 

" What does the poor hawk do then ? " asked Rose. 

" O, he has to catch another one." 

" Hasn't the eagle dot anj/ fevvers on top of his 
head ? " asked Rose. 




QUEEK NeIGHBOES. 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



" Yis, to be sure ; but they call him bald-headed 
because the feathers on top of his head are 
white." 

" I should fink they ought to call him drey-headed',' 
said Rose, seriously. 

" How does the fish-hawk look ? " asked Frank. 

" Well, he's about two fate long, and when his 
wings are spread I think they would measure nearly 
five fate from tip to tip. The upper parts of his 
body is a mixed reddish-brown, while the lower 
parts are white. Then he has a rough, shaggy foot 
with long hooked nails." 

" It is sometimes called the Osprey^' said Grace, 
" and belongs to the family Falconidcer 

" I'll write that down," said Pat. "An' now, I'll 
show ye me owls. I found a nest, and I brought the 
old owl and four young ones home with me, and 
mither wouldn't let me kape them because she 
heard them hooting in the night, and said they 
would be getting out and ating the chickens up, so 
I killed and stuffed them.'* 

" Who taught you to stuff birds ? " asked Grace. 

" Sure, mum, and I went to a taxidermist's. He 
let me help him skin birds, and one thing or another, 

371 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



until I was sure I could stuff one all meself, and so 
I have, mum, several, and they look rale nateral." 

" What kind of owls are they ? " asked Frank. 

" The common barn-owl. I found the nest in a 
hollow tree, whicli grew close up to an old house. 




Two boys found them first, though, and took two 
of the young 'uns off with them. But the two 
homesick babies disappeared in the night, and the 
boys went back to get some more next mornin', and, 



872 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



mem, the very same birds they had taken home with 
thim the night before was back agin, snug in their 




nests ! The boys were just goin' to take thim home 
agin, when a large owl came out of the ruined 

373 



Kenny's chickens. 



house after the boys, with such a flappin' and hootin' 
they dropped the Httle ones and ran. I didn't say 
anything when they tould me, but I wanted to know 
about owls, mum, so I made up my moind I'd hev 
thim young birds and their mither, too, along wid 
'em to kape 'em content, an I did, the same day. 
The old owl I stuffed as a present for you, mum, 
but the young owls are so comical, mum, that I've 
made a glass case for thim for mesilf. I want mither 
to hev 'em on the settin'-room table, but she wont," 

"You have mounted this owl beautifully," said 
Grace. " I shall put it a-top of the bookcase in my 
room, and a thousand thanks to you, Pat." 

And then they looked at the little owls in the 
glass-case. Grace laughed heartily. 

" But how is it, Pat, the owls are not all of a size ? 
I thought you said they came from the same nest." 

" And they did, mum. Afther two or three of 
her children are hatched, the old owl often lays some 
more eggs, and they hatch out because the feathers 
of the young owls keeps them so warm, mum. 
The taxidermist tould me that, mum." 

" I wish I had one of 'em little howls," said Rose. 

" Sure, Rosie dear, and that would be a corrict 

374 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



name for the hooting craythers," laughed Pat. " I'll 
give you a prettier bird than these before ye go 
home." 

" What do they have such awful big eyes for ? " 
asked May. 

'' So they can see better, of tourse," replied Rose. 




" No, Rose, notwithstanding his immense eyes, the 
owl can see scarcely at all in the day time. He has 
to creep away in the dark all day long, and then 
come out at night after his rats and mice, for then is 
it he can see perfectly. You remember when we 

375 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



were talking about cats I told you all animals have 
the power of contracting or dilating the eyes to 
some extent, just as their necessities require ; but to 
no creature is this power so largely given as to the 
owl. In fact, the head of an owl is much like that 
of a cat. There are about fifty species of owls. In 
winter they sleep the time away in holes of trees or 
in very old buildings. They belong to the order 
Raptores which includes all the nocturnal birds of 
prey, and to the SUngidcB family." 

" Here is a chimney-swallow, mum," said Pat. 

" I suppose you caught that when it fell down the 
chimney } " said Grace. 

" No, mum, for it's not the big birds that fall often, 
and if they do they fly up right away ; it's only the 
nests and young birds that fall sometimes, during 
damp weather. I'll tell ye how I got this bird, mum. 
Farmer Hough, where I works, has a lightning-rod 
on his best chimney. The swallows seem to know 
that the parlor is shet unless there's a weddin' or 
funeral, an' ivery spring when they come back, 
before they 've paired off like, they make that 
chimney their home; hundreds of 'em, mum, and 
I've often sat in the barn-door watchin' 'em 

376 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



come out in a long string just about sunset, as if for 
a good airing afther being shut up all day in such a 
smoky place, but the most fun is watchin' thim go 
back down the chimney. A hundred of thim, or 
more, commince by flyin' in wide circles around the 
mouth of the chimney, a long string of swallows 




a-windin up round and round, and if any in the line 
miss the mouth of the chimney, they go back and 
join the circle and try it over agin, and the fewer 
there are lift, the harder it is for thim to sail straight 
for the hole. I've often seen three or four of 'em try- 
ing to hit it late as nine o'clock, mum. Well, one 

377 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



night, mum, when the long string was passin' down 
the hole one of 'em brought up with great force on 
the point of the lightning-rod — speared sure as 
anything. Mrs. Hough and the girls come out 
there, and we had a long ladder put up, and I went 
up there to bring the bird down ; but it was clane 
dead, the point of the lightning-rod clane through it 
from breast to back. Nobody seemed to care about 
it, so I kept it and stuffed it." 

" When they come out at night," said Grace, " it 
is not only to air themselves but to seek food, 
which is always insects. They suck these into 
their throats while on the wing. I, too, have been 
amused in seeing them pass down a chimney. 
Where there is no chimney, they always choose a 
hollow tree, but they prefer chimneys, because the 
sides form a better foundation for their nests which 
are made of small sticks glued together with the 
bird s saliva and a sort of sticky stuff secreted in 
two glands on the sides of the head. These nests 
they attach to the side of the chimney wall. 
Besides, they are then safe from birds-of-prey. They 
lay about four eggs and raise two broods during 
the season." 

378 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



" When I heard them in the chimney I used to think 
it was thundering, until mamma told me," said May. 

" They belong to the order Insessores, and to the 
family HirundinidcE!^ 

" The next one I hev," said Pat, " is a sparrow. 
It fell from its nest and got hurt, so I thought I'd 
bring it home to Kenny for a pet. It got so it 
could fly about all around the house. But one day 




it got scared, and tried to fly through a window- 
pane, but the shock was too much for it, or else the 
poor little thing's heart was broke, for it fell back 
to the floor, stood a moment, then threw back its 
little head and just died." 

" Poor, poor, little thing ! " said Grace taking it 
up tenderly in her fingers. 

379 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



" We've seen lots of sparrows," said May. " The 
city is full of them." 

" Isn't it strange how they adapt themselves to 
any home ? But they are a bold, crafty set, and do 
not seek the residence of man because of any par- 
ticular fondness for him, but for the advantages 
such places offer by way of food. The sparrow is 
a European bird, and has lately been introduced to 
this country. It belongs to the order Incessores, 
and to the family Fringillidce, The finch and spar- 
row family feed chiefly upon grain and seeds, accord- 
ing to the farmer, but naturalists and all keen 
observers know they destroy enough and more 
insects to make up for all the grain they eat, and it 
is the same with most other birds. It has been 
estimated that a pair of sparrows, in a single week, 
while they are feeding their young, destroy about 
three thousand, three hundred and sixty cater- 
pillars." 

Pat now brought out a tiny glass case, carpeted 
with moss, with two little birds mounted side by 
side on a stout twig, and made to look as if both 
were about to seize a snail that was half-buried in 
the moss. 

380 



KENNY S CHICKENS. 



•'. Beautiful ! " said Grace. 

" It's for Rosie," said Pat, proudly, " and 'm goin' 
to try my hand on stuffin' a pair of squirrels, and if 
they're nice, they'll belong to Mister Frank and 
Miss May." 

The little natural history class thanked Pat in a 
body, and then they took their books and wrote : 













"Domestic fowls of the order Rasores, family 
PhasianidcB. Hawks of the order Carnivora and 
the family FalconidcE. Owls, to order Raptores 
family Strigidcs. Swallows, order Incessores, family 
HirundiiiidcB, Sparrows, order Incessores, family 
Fringillidcs, 



381 




CHAPTER VII. 
i 

PAT AND THE WASPS, 

The very next time the children were out they 
came across Pat again. He hastily concealed some- 
thing in his pocket as they drew near, and met them 
with a broad, good-natured smile. 

" I believe you live in the woods, Pat, don't you ? " 
said Grace. 

'* Much of the toime, mum." 

" And what have you found this morning.? " 

382 



PAT AND THE WASPS. 



"Nothing much," he answered, yet with a look of 
mischief in his eyes. But presently he drew a tin 
box from his pocket. " Don't you want to see what 
I've got in there } " he said to Rose. 

The little girl who naturally trusted everybody 
was delighted. Quickly pulling off the lid before 
Pat could prevent her, her lap was covered with red 
wasps, one great big fellow alighting on her 
chubby bare arm. A piercing shriek rent the 
air, and the child sprang up shaking her clothes 
violently. 

Grace tried to scold, and Frank and May jumped 
about crushing the wasps under their feet. Frank 
was very angry. " See here, Pat Ryan," said he, " if 
you ever do that again I'll give you a good lickin' ! " 

At this, Pat rolled over on the grass, and laughed. 

" I am surprised you should be so rude to such 
a little girl," said Grace, taking the terrified child 
in her arms, and assuring her that every wasp was 
gone. 

" You might have frightened her into fits," frowned 
May. " If just one of them had stung her, I don't 
know what she would have done.*' 

Then Pat explained : 

383 



PAT AND THE WASPS. 



" But they couldn't hev stung her, for I pulled the 
stings out of ivery last one of 'em. But still I 
didn't mean to let 'em out on her." 

" You dought to told me," said little Rose, pouting. 

" I hev some in another box, with the stings all 
in, the varmints ! I'm goin' to tek 'em home and 
scare Kenny ! " 

" Please don't be such a vexing boy," said Grace. 
" Tease yourself with them, if you must tease 
anybody." 

" But I ain't afraid of 'em. I kin pick up a live 
wasp any toime, and he'll niver sting me a bit. 
Would you like to see me take the stings out.?" 

" No, I'd rather see you kill them outright," said 
Grace, firmly. 

But Pat opened the other box and let a wasp slip 
to the ground. 

" Now," said he, " see me pick up this wasp and 
without it's iver stingin' me ! " He took up the 
wasp in the palm of his hand, closed his fingers 
over it, at the same time drawing in his breath and 
shutting his lips. He held it for several seconds, 
then put it back into the box. And then he looked 
around like a young Rarey. 

3S4 



PAT AND THE WASPS. 



" Where did you get it ? " asked Grace, taking it 
in her own hands. 

" Sure, mum, and hev n't I jest been afther de- 
stroyin' a wasp's nest? It was right in that bush 
there, an' how mad they all was," 

" What do wasps make their nests of ? " asked 
Grace. " Haven't you ever watched them building .^" 

" Many a time. It seems to me they chaw up 
fence rails and mix it up into paper." 



.■<-^5-yc 




" I have watched them," said Grace. " A mother- 
wasp starts out all alone for herself. In fact, none 
of the wasps survive the frosts of winter save the 
queen wasp. She has found a hiding place where 
she has lain torpid, but as soon as the bright spring 
sun has warmed her she crawls out and bes^ins 
forming a new colony. First, she scrapes old fence- 

385 



PAT AND THE WASPS. 



rails with her teeth, and gnaws off the fibres from 
plants, then, mixing these substances with the saliva 
in her mouth, she begins the foundation of her nest. 
The first chamber is about as large as a thimble 
with the opening hanging down so that she can 
pass in and out. Then she begins at the top again 
and lays another covering of paper over the first. 
When she exhausts the supply of paper in her 
mouth she flies away for more, and as she often 
alights on pieces of paper I judged she as lieve 
find her paper ready made; but on examination I 
find she chews the paper and makes it over. The 
second paper shell is about as large as a quail's egg, 
the third as large as a hen's egg and so on, until the 
whole structure is about as large as a goose egg. 
Then she tears down the partitions inside, excepting 
two or three, and then builds it full of paper cells, 
all the cells opening downward. You can see these 
cells in this section of the wasp's nest which Pat has 
furnished us. In these cells she lays her eggs. As 
soon as they are hatched she has the grubs to feed, 
their cells to enlarge, more cells to make, and more 
eggs to lay. The little worm-like grubs are very 
helpless, being destitute of feet. When they become 



PAT AND THE WASPS. 



grown they stop eating and spin a little silk sheet 
over their cells. In these retreats they change from 
grubs to pupce — called pupoe because they look 
somewhat like a babe in swaddling clothes. As 
soon as they get their wings and become perfectly 
formed wasps they break their way out and imme- 
diately go to work. As among bees, all the wasps 
that are first hatched are neuters, or workers. The 
queen wasp feeds the grubs with flies. Perfectly 
formed wasps are fond of honey, sugar and fruit as 
well as of many kinds of smaller insects." 

" How many kinds are there t " asked Frank. 

" Several. There is the hornet, the yellow-jacket 
wasps that build on trees, wasps that build under 
ground — then there is the mud wasp." 

" I hev seen ivery one of them," said Pat. " The 
hornet is the crossest of all. I loikes the mud wasp 
best for he hardly iver stings, — and I loikes to 
see'm go down to a gutter, ^oX. his mouth full and fly 
back to a garret where he builds his mud nest fast 
to the roof. Sure, and I've often broke 'em open 
and found 'em full of fat spiders 1 " 

" Yes," said Grace, " to feed the little grubs with 
as soon as they are hatched." 

88T 



PAT AND THE WASPS. 



" What kind of a nest does a hornet make ? " 
asked Frank. 

" I've a hornet's nest up to the house as large as a 
wash-basin, most, and it's paper Hke the red wasp's 
nest." 

" Do bees belong to the same family as the 
wasps } " asked May. 

" Not to the same family, but to the same order. 
Hymenoptera of Articulata Insectar 

" What is Hymenoptera ? " asked May. 

"It comes from hymen, a membrane ; and pteron, 
a wing. Hyme7ioptera are characterized by having 
four membraneous wings; that is, all the females 
possess four wings, but in some of the families the 
neuters have more, ants for example." 

" Do any ants have wings } " asked May. 

" O yes, the females have four, the males, two, but 
the neuter, or workers, have none. Now among 
bees both the males and females have four wings 
each, while the workers have but two." 

" Tell us about the honey-bee ! I loikes to hear 
about insects," said Pat. 

" The bee belongs to the family Apidce, and the 
wasps to the family Vespidce, Apidce, is from the 



PAT AND THE WASPS. 



Latin word, Apis^ bee. Vespidce^ comes from the 
Latin word Vespa^ wasp. Naturalists have been 
interested in the study of bees for more than two 
thousand years, yet are still learning something new. 
There are a great many kinds of bees : the An- 
drenidcB^ for instance, a family of Hymenopterous 
insects, differing from the ApidcB in having shorter 
proboscides." 

" What are ' boscides ' ? " asked little Rose. 

" The little tongues or bills that bees eat with. 
Haven't you ever seen the fly eat sugar ? " 

" The 'ittle flies got trunks like elphents 1 " 

" Somewhat," 

" Again, the AndrenidcB do not live in societies 
like the Apidcs, but only as males and females, 
forming their nests in the ground." 

" I have seen them many a toime ! " exclaimed 
Pat. 

" Take notes now, while I am talking. There are 
the MelectidcB^ Megachilidce^ PanurgidcB and Scopuli- 
pedes, MelectidcE or cuckoo-bees, are parasitic, mak- 
ing use of the nests of other bees. Megachilidoe, 
or mason and upholsterer-bees, embrace a number of 
species. Among these the genus Anthocopa, or the 

389 



PAT AND THE WASPS. 



tapestry-bee, forms its nest of bright colored flowers, 
the poppy being predominant; the species, of the 
genus Megachile, form their nests in the trunks of 
decayed trees lining them so accurately with leaves 
that they are honey-tight. Pmitirgidce^ or solitary 
bees, are very little known, but much resemble the 
Andrenidoe, The Scopulipedes are named from the 
females, having their hind legs covered with a thick 
coating of hair. Among these are the carpenter- 
bees and the Xylocopa, which tunnel into posts and 
palings, and then there is the good old-fashioned 
bumble-bee. But the most important of all the 
bees is the Apis-mellifica^ the hive-bee. A whole 
volume might be written on this little insect. I 
will, however, speak of the structure of the hive-bee. 
Instead of having a little trunk, or sucker, to suck 
up his food like the flies, he has a long, hairy tongue 
and laps up his food. He laps honey from flowers, 
and then swallows it into his nice, clean honey-bag, 
where it undergoes but little change before he 
disgorges it into the nice little waxen cells he has 
already constructed in his line. The pollen which 
he gathers from big yellow flowers he kneads into 
a dough mixed with the saliva of his mouth, and 

390 



PAT AND THE WASPS. 



when this is found among honey it is called bee- 
bread, and is quite ugly to the taste. By some 
internal process, wax oozes out between the little 
bee's abdominal wings — those under his stomach. 
It is from the honey that the bee retains for his 
own nourishment, that the wax is formed. There 
are three kinds of creatures among bees, same as 
among wasps ; queens, drones and workers. When 
the queen-bee is laying her eggs, she has twelve 
attendants, who feed her with honey, and often 
caress her by lapping her antenncE, her mouth and 
eyes. You might almost think, these faithful little 
worker-ofuards were encouraQ-ino: her with kisses. 
For nearly a year the queen lays eggs that will 
produce only drones and workers ; after that she lays 
eggs that are to be queens. If the queen-bee in a 
hive should be destroyed before she has laid any 
eggs to produce queens the workers hasten to 
the cells that contain eggs of workers and break 
three of the cells into one, a single ^^^ being al- 
lowed to remain in the bottom. As soon as this 
^^^ hatches the workers feed it with royal bee- 
bread, which is never fed to any of the maggots 
save those which are to make queens, The little 

391 



PAT AND THE WASPS. 



bee-maggots undergo the same transformation as is 
common to wasps, and which I have already told 
you about." 

" Sure, now, and if I iver heard the like about a 
bee before ! " exclaimed Pat, his eyes sparkling with 
the interest he felt. 

" Don't bees sometimes escape from their hives 
and go to the woods and make nests ? " asked Frank. 

" When there comes a new queen, the old queen 
leaves with the most loyal of her subjects, and if 
there is no empty hive prepared for her she goes to 
the woods. Indeed, her natural state was to con- 
struct her nest in hollow trees ; but the hive-bee is 
now pretty well domesticated." 

" Cousin Grace, I know a lady who has several 
hives of bees and they will let her or any of the fam- 
ily, pick them up ; but if a stranger touches them 
they are sure to sting. Isn't that queer?" asked 
Frank. 

" The bee is very sagacious. It is said that there 
is an odor about some people that they detest, while 
others can approach them boldly, even in the wild 
state, and not be stunr. A man whom the bees 
seem to recognize as a friend, may go up to a hollow 

392 



PAT AND THE WASPS. 



tree and take his hands full of honey, the bees sur- 
rounding and covering him yet not offering to sting, 
while his friend must stand with folded arms in the 
distance, not daring to approach." 




" All this from the wasp's nest Pat had in his 
pocket," smiled May. " Pat, have you anything 
more ? " 



PAT AND THE WASPS. 



Pat laughed and thrust his hand into his pocket 
and drew out a large pill-box in which he had a 
locust confined. 

" Ugh ! " exclaimed Grace, " I have seen so many of 
them west that the sight of one makes me shudder ! " 

" Will 'em bite ? " asked Rose, nestling closer to 
Grace. 

" Not you, pet — but oh ! if anybody had seen the 
ripe, golden corn-fields covered with them w^hile the 
whole air was black with more coming in the dis- 
tance, I think they would shudder with me. It 
meant death by starvation, unless some outside aid 
reached us." 

" I thought it was the grasshopper that was so 
troublesome out west ? " said Frank. 

" Locusts and grasshoppers are so much alike that 
few but naturalists know the difference. They both 
belong to the same order — Orthoptera from Orthos, 
straight, and pteron, wing: Orthoptera, straight- 
winged. Both have the same general shape, both 
take long leaps. The difference in looks seems 
mainly in the antenna. The antenncB of the locust are 
short, and project in front, while those of the grass- 
hopper are long and folded back, reaching even 

394 



PAT AND THE WASPS. 



beyond their long hind legs. Both locusts and 
grasshoppers deposit their eggs in the ground — 
These eggs remain until spring, when they are 
hatched ; the little locusts and grasshoppers being at 
first no larger than gnats. However, the grass- 
hopper attains its whole growth in one season, while 




the locusts are three years in arriving at maturity. 
They do not undergo the change so common to 
most of the insect tribe, but come forth perfect little 
locusts and grasshoppers, excepting wings. They 
keep continually changing their skins as they grow 

395 



PAT AND THE WASPS. 



larger, at the same time their wings becoming more 
and more prominent. They are very greedy, and as 
soon as they have consumed all that is green around 
them, fly away in search of more food, leaving black- 
ness and desolation behind them." 

" The ugly baste ! but I'll fix him as soon as I 
gets home, to be sure. I'll stack a pin clare through 
his body and that '11 be the last of him, mum !" 

" If anything must be destroyed, do it as quickly 
as you can," said Grace, " and without torture." 

" Sure, mum, and didn't I see lots of butterflies 
and beetles- and theloikes at the centennial, an' ivery 
blissed one of 'em with pins stickin' through 'em. 
Sure, mum, I did." 

" Those were all quickly killed with a drop of 
chloroform applied to their heads before the pins 
were stuck through their bodies, Pat. Why, just 
imagine how you would feel with a great nail stuck 
through your body, fastening you to a board — and 
while you are alive." 

" I'll buy the chloroform," said Pat. 

" Are you making a collection of insects ? " 

" I've got lots of 'em at home, but they don't look 
foine as those I saw to the centennial." 



PAT AND THE WASPS. 



" Did you earn enough money yourself to go to 
the centennial ? " asked Frank. 

" Sure and I worked the corn all summer for Far- 
mer Hough, for that same thing. It was a long 
time before mither would let me go. An' that was 
the grandest sight I iver saw in my life, mum. It 
was loike a new world to me, mum, and I wished I'd 
never to go home." 

At this moment Pat saw an ant-lion, and throwing 
a stone with sure aim, he brought it to the ground. 

" I hope it will sting you," said May, as Pat took 
the writhing form up in his hand. 

" It has no sting," said Grace. " But see how you 
have hurt it, Pat. How can you bear to harm so 
beautiful a creature as the ant-lion ? " 

" An ant-lion ! " said Frank. " I thought it was a 
dragon-fly." 

" It does look Hke one. In fact both insects 
belong to the order Neuroptera from the Greek 
word Neuron, nerve and petron wing, Nettroptera, 
nerve-winged. Some call them net-winged, and 
others lace-winged, for see how like net and beautiful 
lace are its wings. Let us hunt around here in the 
sand and see if we cannot find some baby ant-lions," 

397 



PAT AND THE WASPS. 



" I thought it was like the mosquito and laid its 
eggs in water," said Frank. 

" You are thinking of the dragon-fly. This is the 
ant-lion or Myrmeleon from myrmos, ant and leo, lion. 
He is called so because he feeds extensively on ants. 
It is interesting to see the larvoe obtain their food. 
The ant-lion deposits her eggs in the sand. As they 
are hatched the little maggot-like creatures scoop 
out tiny pits about two inches deep, in which they 
lie in wait with open jaws to devour any insect 
which may tumble down into their pits. If the 
insect tries to scrabble back, the little fellow throws 
sand after it, brings it down again ; then it sucks the 
juice and throws the body outside. The larva 
remains in this state for two years, after which it 
makes a cocoon of sand lined with silk, and after 
three weeks comes out a perfect insect. There 
are two ant-lions, now. Let us search around 
on the ground for some of the little fellows' pits." 

" I have found one," she soon cried. " Your pen- 
knife, Frank, and we will explore this ant-trap." 

The exploration proved such a grand success 
that the children were obliged to make their notes 
on their way home : 



PAT AND THE WASPS. 



Wasps: Articulata-Insecta ; order, Hymenoptera^ 
membrane-winged; family, F^^/^^, wasp-like. Bees:' 
Articulata-Insecta ; order, Hymenoptera ; family, 
ApidcB, bee-family. Locusts: Articulata-Insecta; 
order Orthoptera, straight-winged ; family, Locus tz- 
dce^ locust-like. Ant-lions : Articulata-Insecta ; order, 
Neuroptera^ net-winged ; family, Myrmeleon. 




-'rcS^ 



CHAPTER VIII. 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS, 



"See what a nice butterfly! "exclaimed little Rose 
rushing into the house the next day. " I want a 
' wonder-talk ' about it ! " Where's Tousin ? " 

" O Rosie, you're going to have a new dress ! See 
the worm measuring off the yards ! " laughed May, 
calling the little girl's attention to a long slender 
worm which was slowly moving over the sleeve of 
her dress. First, it would plant its six fore legs 

400 




Butterflies. 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



firmly down, and then draw up its four hind feet 
directly after its fore feet, thus forming a high loop 
in the middle of its body, this portion being destitute 
of legs. 

" Take it off ! " said Rose, shrugging her shoulder. 

" It won't hurt you, besides, Rosie dear, they say 
it is a sign you're going to have a new dress. We'll 
go and show the worm and the butterfly to Cousin 
Grace," and away the little girls ran for a " wonder- 
talk." 

" Two very interesting subjects," said Grace. " Go 
after Frank and then I am ready." 

" In the first place," said she after Frank came, 
" this is not a butterfly but a moth." 

" A moth ! " repeated May. " I thought moths 
were little bits of creatures, and ate our furs and 
woolens." 

" Moth is a name given to a numerous division of 
LepidopteroMs insects, embracing some of the largest 
insects of this order." 

" What is Lepidopterous ? " asked May. 

" It comes from the Greek words Lepis, a scale, 
and//^r^7^, wing. All butterflies and moths have 
their wings covered with scales. They are easily 

403 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



discernible with a microscope. Even the Httle 
measuring, or span worm, on Rose's dress, is but the 
larva of a slender-bodied moth with large wings and 
tapering antennce. I will tell you how you can tell 
a moth and a butterfly apart. The horns or an- 
tennce of the moth are almost always comb-shaped, 
branching out like tw^o beautiful feathers from the 
top of its head, while those of the butterfly are not 
so handsome, being simply little tubes terminating in 
knobs ; and the wings of the butterfly, when at rest, 
are folded back, while the wings of a moth droop 
down." 

" Tell us all about the little measuring w^orm, won't 
you ? " asked May. 

" It lives among the leaves in the trees. When it 
w^ants to get down it spins a w^eb like a spider and 
lets itself swing. Sometimes it will ascend by the 
same thread. When it is time to undergo its trans- 
formation, these little worms let themselves down to 
the ground, and creeping in the earth form the 
cocoons in which they are to remain a short time as 
chrysalids, before emerging as a perfectly-formed, 
graceful little moth. ' 

" What kind of a moth is this white one Rose has 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



found ? "asked May, taking it up in her hand. " See 
v/hat a long tongue, coiled up under its chin like a 
piece of rope ! " 

" It belongs to the family Spki7tgidcB, the hawk- 
moth family, and were you to see the tongue uncoiled 




you would find it a great deal longer than the whole 
body of the insect. It feeds on the honey of 
trumpet-shaped flowers, and then is it that it uses its 
tongue uncoiled. The caterpillar, or larva of this 

405 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



moth, is a large, thick, Hght green worm. It has six- 
teen pairs of legs, and is remarkable for the Sphinx- 
like attitude it will maintain for hours together, get- 
ting its name from this fact. It grows to the length 
of three or four inches and has a short horn on the 
last ring or segment of its body. It feeds on potato 
vines, and at the close of summer enters the ground 
and becomes a chrysalid, with a tube, like a pitcher 
handle, projecting from the head to the breast. 
These pupae may be found on digging in any 
potato-patch at the close of summer or early spring. 
The species is called Quinquemaculatus, from the 
five round orange-colored spots you see on this poor 
dead moth." 

*' Cousin Grace, are silk-worms moths.? "asked May. 

" Certainly, in their perfect state. They belong to 
the family Bombycidce and came from China. They 
are of a cream color with a brown band and two or 
more curved lines crossing the upper wings." 
. *' We have seen them many a time," said May. 
" Papa has a friend in the country who makes a busi- 
ness of raising them. He has lots of mulberry trees, 
and the silk-worms eat the leaves." 

" They are very voracious I have seen silk- 

406 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



worms in all their stages. The eggs are about the 
size of mustard seeds and it takes them but a few 
days to hatch. The little things begin eating at 




once. In about two months they arrive at maturity. 
They change their skins four times while growing. 



407 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



After the last casting of its skin it measures about 
two inches in length. Then, for about ten days, it 
eats ravenously, growing greatly both in length and 
thickness ; but soon a change comes. All at once 
the little thing loses appetite and begins spinning its 
shroud or cocoon, the operation taking some three 
or four days. The thread in a cocoon measures, 
from six hundred to a thousand feet. The worm 
remains a chrysalid for about three weeks, then 
emerges a perfectly formed moth with a thick, heavy 
body, dusty, powdery looking wings, and feathered 
antennc£. The males fly in the evening, but the 
females are inactive, living but a short time after 
they deposit their eggs on the mulberry leaves. The 
shape of the cocoons is like a long ^gg. The out- 
side layer is composed of a substance called floss j 
within, the thread is more even, and close to the 
body of the worm the silk is very hard, and much 
stronger. The silk winds off irregularly, first from 
one side and then from the other. Some of the 
cocoons are of a pure white, others of a bright yel- 
low. As soon as all the cocoons are formed they 
are gathered and baked in order to kill the worm, 
because a cocoon torn by the moth in emerging is: 

408 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



good for nothing. The silk is so fine that eight or 
ten threads are wound off as one. The cocoons are 
put into kettles of water over the fire, and the ends 
of the silk found by brushing them over with a 




whisk made for the purpose, and there is a hole 
made near the edge of the kettle, through which the 
silk passes to keep it from getting tangled." 

409 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



" Doesn't it seem strange that all the silk in the 
world is made by worms ? " said May. 

" Now about butterflies ! " said Frank. 

" They are so closely related to moths that there 
is little to tell. They fly about in the sunshine, 
instead of at night like moths, but you may find 
them on trees, the old ones laying their eggs, and 
the caterpillars undergoing their metamorphosis in 
the same way as does the silk-worm, only their 
cocoons are useless to man. Butterflies are more 
elegant in form and graceful in motion than moths. 
They feed on the nectar of flowers, which they suck 
up with their long proboscides. The large white 
butterfly lays its eggs on the under side of cabbage 
leaves, the caterpillars being very destructive to the 
plants. The butterfly called the purple emperor 
lives upon the topmost branches of the great oak ; 
its caterpillar is green with oblique white lines. 
Then there are the peacock butterflies and the 
marsh fritillaries and many others. A very pretty 
sight in summer is a cluster of roses around which 
butterflies are flying as if in an ecstasy of pleasure. 
Many a gay creature gets entangled in the cruel 
thorns and during its efforts to escape loses, per- 

410 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



chance, a wing, perchance its own bright pretty life. 
And now I will tell you a story true in every 
respect, of my four butterflies, or moths, as I after- 
wards found them to be. On coming home, from 
school one night I found a grey chrysalid on a fence- 
rail. I tore it from the rail, to the surprise of my 
little companions, who said there was nothing in it 
but some ugly spiders, but I assured them there 
would a butterfly come out sometime, and I wanted 
to see what kind of a one it would be, so I took it 
home and placed it on the mantel-piece in the 
dining-room. I had found it early in April, but no 
signs of a butterfly were seen until the middle of 
June. I had almost lost faith and interest in my 
chrysalid, when one night, on coming home from 
school I saw something clinging to the blue netting 
that was wrapped around the mirror. It was not a 
butterfly, but a large moth, with an immense body, 
and with great broad wings, the insect measuring, 
from tips of wings across, fully six inches. The color 
was a dark brown, edged with curved lines, three or 
four shades of paler brown, one broad line of bright 
red, and one of white. Then there were four large 
spots, white centers surrounded with rings of red, 

413 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



finished up with black. There were also two round 
black spots on the extreme tips of the upper wings. 
The body was covered with thick red feathers, and 
the antennae were two large reddish brown feathers 
branching out from each side of its head. I was 
delighted, and I thought with pleasure of the com- 
pany that was to meet at our house that night to 
practice Sunday-school music, for I wanted all my 
friends to see my beautiful moth before I let it go 
out in the garden. 

" They admired it as I expected they would, then 
we went into the brilliantly-lighted parlor to sing, 
leaving the rest of the house in darkness. We were 
all singing away when some one exclaimed, " O, 
here is your butterfly ! " It fluttered about for a few 
moments and at last alighted on the bosom of a 
young lady's white dress. She placed her hand over 
it gently and we went on with our singing. As 
soon as the hymn was finished I took it and shut it 
up in the kitchen. A few moments after, while we 
were singing, there appeared two more beautiful 
moths. Very much surprised we captured them as 
soon as they alighted and bore them out to the 
kitchen. There we had the great large beautiful 

414 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



moths, all alike, sitting in a rov/ on the kitchen 
mantel-piece. On going back to the parlor through 
the dining-room, there was my own moth still on the 
netting of the clock, as it was as yet unable to fly. 

" The next morning we put them all together in 
the parlor, thinking we would keep them as long as 
they would stay with us. But when I came home 
from school at night they had all escaped, but one of 
them had left a number of eggs sticking fast to the 
table legs. Now, what surprised me the most was 
to know how those strange moths knew of my moth. 
Did they know by scent ? — or was it by hearing ? 
By the way, some naturalists think their feathered 
ante7titcE serve as ears. If such be the case their 
hearing may be very acute, enabling them to distin- 
guish sounds which we can not hear at all." 

" I thought their antenn<^ were feelers," said May. 

" It is now thought they are so constructed as to 
serve them but little for that purpose. They fly 
around boldly, not seeming to feel their way — not like 
a blind worm, thrusting out first one feeler to find if 
there is an obstacle in the way, and then another to 
see if both sides are clear." 

" Are worms blind ? " asked Frank. 

415 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



" Most of them. They seem to move entirely by 
feeling." 

" Then how great the change when they can see 
and fly and suck honey from flowers ! I like to think 
of it," said May. 

At this moment the party was interrupted, Mrs. 
Ellerton ushering Pat into the room. 

" What have you there ? " asked Grace, as Pat 
removed a lid from a very large assortment of butter- 
flies and moths arranged in the forms of stars, circles 
and squares. 

" So pretty and so cruel ! " cried Grace. " How did 
you catch so many ? " 

" With my hat, mum. I thought it too cloudy for 
yes to come over to the creek to-day, and so I thought 
I'd bring you these." 

" I see you have a great many of a kind. In this 
star, you have twenty little white butterflies all alike 
— and at the corner of each star you have a large 
purple emperor. Now, one of each kind would 
have been sufBcent for study, would n't it ? I am so 
fond of the lovely creatures that I wouldn't shorten 
one moment of their bright existence for anything. 
When possible, I would rather study my lessons 

416 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



from nature, alive. It makes me sad to see so many 
beautiful creatures with pins stuck through their 
bodies, Pat." 

Indeed it was sometime before she looked at them 
again. Pat said he was sorry he hadn't realized that 
one of a kind was enough. At last Grace took up 
the " wonder-talk " again. 




" See if you can tell which are butterflies and 
which are moths in Pat's collection." 

The children did so without making one mistake. 
Pat was very much interested and wanted to know 
the name of each insect in the box and the origin of 
all the names. " I would loike to know," said he, 
" v/hy ye call this one a puss-moth ! " 

417 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



" Because its soft grey color spotted with black 
resembles the coat of the tabby-cat. Children, you 
remember those odd-looking worms that are so thick 
upon the willow trees ? " 

" The ugly things ! " exclaimed May. 

" I think their apple-green complexion quite 
pretty," said Grace. 

" O but the ugly hump on their backs, and the 
two horrid horns on their tails ! I just know they 
would like to sting, and I wouldn't have one get on 
me for a hundred dollars." 

"Well, the puss-moths are these ugly, horrid, green 
worms, as you are pleased to term them, in the 
perfect form. Now will you ever be so afraid of 
them again ? " 

" I don't know. I've seem them poke out their 
horns many a time when I accidentally got too near." 

" They are cross after they have changed their 
skins for the last time, but as they increase in size 
they become more gentle. 

" They ates their skins, all but their heads, after 
they shed 'em, for I've seen them," said Pat. 

" Yes. The head is probably too tough or they 
would swallow that, too. You have a large collec- 

418 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



tion of clothes-moths. Here are gray, white, yellow, 
black and striped. There is no insect in the world 
more hateful to the house-wife than those tiny, harm- 




less-looking creatures. With all her care they will 
manage to deposit their eggs among the woolens 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



and furs so that their Httle ones may have these 
substances to feed upon and wrap themselves up in 
as soon as they are hatched. Haven't you often 
noticed tiny little bags hanging from the ceiling ? *' 

The children thought they had not. 

" Then you have not become very close observers 
yet. I think /see one now," and mounting a chair 
she plucked it down and exhibited it to the children. 

" Let us see what is here," she continued, taking 
a needle and carefully opening the bag. 

" Why, a 'ittle bit of a worm ! " cried Rose, who was 
pulling her cousin's sleeve to obtain a perfect view. 

" Yes, a little worm. The larva of the clothes-moth." 

" How does he get up to the ceiling, I'd like to 
know," said Frank.' 

" As soon as he is hatched he begins a little house 
for himself. His mouth, like that of many worms, 
is like a tiny pair of scissors, opening from side to 
side instead of up and down like the mouths of 
most everything else in nature ; so, you" see, he can 
easily clip off bits of woolens and furs for the out- 
side of his home, spinning a silk with which to line 
his home. Then he is ready for work and can travel 
about at his will." 

420 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



" But I don't see how he can walk when he is all 
wrapped up in such a sheath," said May. 

" He leaves a hole to poke his head and six fore- 
feet out of; then hooking his hind feet into his 
house, he drags it along after him. When he wishes 
to become stationary, he takes some glue that is 
secreted in his jaws and sticks his house fast to the 
wall or ceiling. When he grows too large for his 
old home, instead of shedding it and forming 
another, he makes a slit in it, down the back, and 
sets a neat patch in. Sometimes the patch will be 
red, on a grey ground ; that is because the little 
creature in his grey house may be working in red 
flannel at the time he feels in need of enlarging his 
residence." 

" How funny ! how interesting ! " exclaimed the 
children. 

" I've often thought I'd like to know how such spin- 
ning is done," said Pat. " I've often watched a 
spider, but could niver tells where his thread comes 
from. Perhaps you can tell that ! 

" I know ! " exclaimed little Rose, her eyes bright 
with interest. "Spiders have dot spools of fread 
inside of 'em, and when 'em wants to tome down 

421 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



they unwinds some, and when 'em wants to do up 
they winds it up." 

The children laughed heartily. 

" I will tell you ! " said Grace. " Under the 
spider's stomach are four fleshy protuberances full 
of little holes. Inside of these spinarets is a 




liquid which seems gummy and pasty. All around 
each little . spinaret there are about a thousand of 
minute bristles. From these bristles, about four 
thousand in number, drop little drops of liquid, 
which, the moment they reach the air become dry 
and form so many threads. All these threads 



422 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



uniting in one, form the one slender thread of the 
spiders web. The insect uses her hind legs to 
reel off the threads." 

" Sure, now ! " said Pat, with big eyes. 

" There is also something very curious about a 
spider's eyes. They have no less than eight, ar- 
ranged on the backs of those which have the whole 
body exposed, but clustered together in a group 
upon the heads of those which live in dark holes." 

" Sure, and if I iver heard the loikes of these 
things ! " said Pat, shaking his head. 

" I just guess you don't know how insects breathe," 
said Frank. 

" I do," said Rose. " They've dot six and eight 
little holes along their sides, which em breaves 
frough. Tousin Grace told us. Them's dot all 
their noses in their sides." 

" Now, haven't we talked enough for to-day ? " 
asked Grace. 

" Please, mum, while yer about it, would ye moind 
teilin' me somethin' more about the 'skeeter yes 
were teilin' me about one Sunday." 

" I can tell you how the mosquito lays her eggs 
in the water. This is the way she does it. She 

423 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



rests on a bit of leaf, clinging to it with the first 
and second pair of legs, then she crosses her hind 
legs to catch the eggs as soon as they are laid. A 
gum adhering to these legs cements the eggs to- 
gether, forming a sort of little boat composed of 
three or four hundred eggs, higher at the sides and 
ends than in the middle. This egg-boat she leaves 
on the water. There is no danger that it will 
sink ; and in about three days the eggs hatch, send- 




ing the little wigglers to sport down in the water." 
" O Tousin Grace, I've seen 'em many a time ! " 

exclaimed Rose. " IVe seen 'em in wain-water." 
" The strangest thing about the wiggle r is that 

his nose is in his tail. He has to come frequently 

up to the surface of the water, and stick the tip end 

of his tail out, so that he can breathe." 
" "Faith 1 " said Pat. " Sure, now ! " 

424 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



" Soon he changes Into a pupa, turning himself 
completely over, and now he breathes through tubes 
in the side of his head which look as if they might 
be his ears. He now has the tail of a fish, and can 
swim. In about fifteen days another change comes. 
He rises to the surface of the water, and bursting the 
skin that enfolds him comes out a tiny winged crea- 
ture, no more to partake of the impurities of stag- 
nant water, but to fly about where he will, among 
sweet flowers, or in leafy shades, having the privi- 
lege of quafling fresh, red wine every day from the 




veins of the very lords of creation. Kings and 
queens cannot escape. He often feasts on royal 
blood, I dare say." 

" Are the males and females just alike } ' asked 
Frank. 

" Not exactly. The males and females both have 
two long plumes branching out from each side of 
their heads, but between these two feathers the 

425 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



female possesses a proboscis as sharp as a needle 
with which she can suck blood, while the male, in 
place of the sharp needle, has his proboscis tufted 
with two tiny feathers so that he never bites. Now, 
Frank, what could you tell an ignorant person about 
butterflies and moths ? " 

" They are Articulata-Insecta, Order, Lepidoptera^ 
scale-winged. Butterflies fly in the sunshine, moths 
in the evening and through the night. Butter- 
flies have long, slender antenncE with knobs at 
the ends, moths have feathered antenna. The cat- 
erpillars of butterflies are, for the most part covered 
with hair, and undergo their change, their chrysalids 
attached to trees. The caterpillars of the moths are 
always smooth, those of the Sphinges, or Hawk- 
moths having a horn near their posterior extremities, 
and their chrysalids are, for the most part, found 
under ground." 

" Very good. Now, May, the mosquitoes .? " 
" They are Articulata-Insecta. Order, Diptera, 
two-winged. Family, CulicidcB, from the Latin word 
culex, a gnat." 

" Are mosquitoes gnats ? " asked Frank. 

" Yes ; a large variety of the common gnat." 

426 



MORE ABOUT INSECTS. 



" Please, mum, and did you tell how the mosquito 
makes such a humming noise ? " 

" Insects can make very little, if any, noise distin- 
guishable to our ears, save what they make with 
their wings. It is so from the great green katy-dids 
down to the tiny mosquitoes. The motion of their 
wings makes all the noise." 

" And sure, mum, didn't you say that all insects 
breathe through holes in the soides of their body ? " 

" I did, Pat." 

" Thank ye, mum, and I must be goin' now. It's 
mesilf that niver be afther knowin' so much before, 
and ril niver forget it, sure," and Pat left the house 
feeling his consequence as he never had done before, 
while Grace said to herself : " I must speak to Mr. 
Dumas about that boy. I must not forget." 



427 



PART III. 

FINS. 



CHAPTER I. 



THE FISHING PARTY. 



Frank, like almost all boys, was fond of fishing. 
One day he persuaded Grace and his little sisters to 
accompany him. The first fish caught was a fine 
speckled trout. 

*' Isn't he booful ! " exclaimed little Rose, dancing 
around the tub of water in which the shining crea- 
ture had been placed. 

" You certainly are fortunate," said Grace. " I 

431 



THE FISHING PARTY. 



didn't know trout were to be found here ; but they 
are found in great quantities in the eastern and 
western states." 

'' Thanks to our fish-commissioners that we do 
find them here," said Frank. " There are more sun- 
fish, cat-fish and perch than anything else." 

Rose was amusing herself by taking up the fish in 
her hands and commenting on how easily it slipped 
through her fingers. 

" What makes it so slippy ? " she asked. 

" The slime," answered Grace. 

" But where does the s'ime come from ? " she 
asked. 

" Suppose, Frank, you stop fishing for awhile that 
we may talk a little. In what way is a fish different 
from other animals. Rose ? " 

" 'Em haven't any necks nor hair, and 'em's dot 
lots of scales on 'em. And I tan't see any nose nor 
ears. 'Em 's dust dot two bright eyes without any 
winkers, and a dreat bid mouf." 

" Their fins are their legs and arms ; and now 
write down upon your papers the names of all the 
fins. The two fins at the sides which you might 
almost fancy to be ears, are the pectoral fins and 

433 



THE FISHING PARTY. 



answer the purpose of fore-legs or arms. One fin 
under the breast is called the ventral, the other the 
anaL The fins on the back are called the dorsal 
fins, and the tail is the caudal fin. It is with the last 
named fin that the fish moves through the water, the 
office of the other fins being to balance and direct 
the body. In watching a fish swim have you not 
noticed how gracefully it waves its tail, while the 
other fins seem just spread out for aids } " 

" I have," said Frank. 

" But where does the slippery stuff come from } " 
asked May. 

" I am coming to that directly. Do yon notice 
the line down the sides of the fish ? All the scales 
of this line have tiny holes in them through which 
the slime escapes to cover the body of the fish so 
that it can move more easily through the water. 
There are also tiny mucous holes in the head, sur- 
rounding the nostrils, where much more slime es- 
capes than from the lines down the body. This 
mucous is a sort of defensive secretion which the 
water always carries backwards over the whole sur- 
face of the fish's body ! " 

" How very strange ! " exclaimed May. 

434 



THE FISHING PARTY. 



" What makes him open and shut his mouf all 
the time for ? " asked little wide-awake Rose, peering 
down into the tub. 

" That is the way he breathes. Air is mixed 
with the water, and some of it he retains, but the 
rest of it passes out of the gills with the water," 

" Has he really no ears ? " asked May. 

"None that appear; and most naturalists believe 
they only /ee/ sound. Water is a much better con- 
ductor of sound than air, so that fish do not require 
a development of ears, perhaps. If they had such 
ears as we, what a tumultuous world it would seem 
to them ! There is within the fish, however, an 
internal organ serving the purpose of ears, much 
the same as though our ears were entirely covered 
over with a thick skin. Do you understand ? " 

The children thought they did, and Grace con- 
tinued : " Trout belong to the Salmonidcs family." 

" Do tell us something about salmon," said Frank. 

" Salmon belong principally to the sea, but enter 
the rivers to deposit their spawn. It is then they 
are caught in such large quantities for the table. 
They are partial to clear, rapid rivers with strong 
bottoms. Male and female both ascend the rivers, 

435 



THE FISHING PARTY. 



and both unite in forming holes a foot or two deep. 
After the spawn is placed in these receptacles they 
are covered up carefully, and the salmon return to 
the sea lean and emaciated. These myriads of little 
eggs lie in their holes until the next spring, when 
they are hatched. The common, or river trout, like 
the one we have here, resembles the salmon in its 
habits. September and October are their months 
for spawning. They are often found under a stone 
or log. The best bait for trout is flies. Now, 
Frank, suppose you try your luck, again. You and 
May fish, while Rose and I talk." 

May soon caught a large perch. 

" Be careful," called out Frank, " or it will stick 
its fins into you." 

" Is the perch so pugnacious as that ? " asked 
Grace. 

" Yes, indeed ; see every fin on its back bristling 
with rage — " 

Here Frank interrupted himself by drawing up 
a good-sized sun-fish. 

" I wonder what they call this a sun-fish, for } " 
he said, as he took it from the hook. 

" It is not the true sun-fish," said Grace. " This 

4ad 



THE FISHING PARTY. 



is only a species of the perch family. The real sun- 
fish is found in the Atlantic ocean. It seems all 
head, and is supposed to be called sun-fish because 
it is shining and round like the sun." 

" Is it a small fish ? " asked Frank. 

" By no means. Some of them will weigh five 
or six hundred pounds." 

" Our little sun-fishes are pretty if they don't look 
like the sun," said May. 

" Them's dot pitty wed fins," said Rose. 

" So has the perch," said May. 

" Perch are the hungriest fish I ever saw," said 
Frank. " If you once get into a school of them, 
and have plenty t)f bait, you can catch every one if 
you are careful." 

" Are they any hungrier than pike," asked Grace. 

" I didn't think of them when I spoke ; but a 
pike daresn't touch a perch. A perch is always 
ready for him." 

" Do you ever catch any pike, here? "asked Grace. 

" We catch them down in the mill-pond in winter- 
time. A hole is cut through the ice and the bait 
let down. They are so hungry that great numbers 
are caught. The pike is a long, slim fish," 

437 



THE FISHING PARTY. 



" The pike/' said Grace, " is the biggest eater of 
all the fish, eating anything it can swallow. Many a 
time it has choked to death trying to swallow some- 
thing larger than itself. The pike, as well as the 
pickerel of the New England states, belongs to the 
Esocidcs family. They have large mouths, sharp 
teeth and soft fins." 




" Is a pickerel as large as a pike ? " asked Frank 
" Didn't you know pickerel is the diminutive of 
pike ? I have heard that pike live to be two or three 
hundred years old. I doubt it though." 

438 




\.MvRM^A(Murcena helend). 2. l^AUVB.^Y{Petro7nyzonmarinus). 



THE FISHING PARTY. 



" How I wish we had some way of catching fish 
without a hook ! " said May. " I think the little sun- 
fish would look almost as pretty in an aquarium 
as a gold-fish. He would be just as entertaining, 
anyway." 

" O let's tatch some dold-fish ! " exclaimed Rose. 

" You would have to go to China to do that," said 
Frank. 

" No," said Grace. " It is true they are natives of 
China, but they were introduced into England, and 
from there were brought to the United States. A 
great number of them are raised in artificial ponds 
in both countries, until they have become so cheap 
anybody ean afford to keep one or two. When first 
hatched the gold-fish is entirely black, afterwards it 
becomes white, and again changes to a gold color. 
Some of them are a beautiful red, sprinkled with 
gold ; others are white, like silver, and others white, 
spotted with red. 

" Gold-fish will live a long time upon nothing else 
than the animalculae they can collect from frequently 
changed water. They will, however, eagerly sieze 
bread crumbs. They belong to the Cyprinidce family. 
The roach also belongs to this family — " 

441 



THE FISHING PARTY. 



A startling cry from May, interrupted. 

Her hook had suddenly disappeared from sight, 
and fearing the fish would get away she had given 
her line a spasmodic jerk, only to feel an eel switch- 
ing its cold body about her neck. She was nearly 
frantic with fright. Frank sprang to her rescue. 

" It is nothing but an eel ! Let me get it off the 
hook. You'll never do it in the world. Well, I de- 
clare, if he hasn't swallowed the hook clear down ! 
I'll have to cut his head off to get it." 

" Let the hook go, and the horrid creature, too," 
exclaimed May, in great excitement. ''I'll never fish 
again as long as I live." 

" Nonsense ! " exclaimed Frank. " Eels are just as 
good as cat-fish." 

" It's a horrid water-snake," exclaimed May. " The 
very meaning of the word ' eel ' is * serpent '." 

" Yes," smiled Grace, " but this is an eel of the 
AnguillidcB family, a fresh-water fish with pectoral, 
anal and dorsal fins. Then if you will examine him 
closely you will find scales imbedded in his thick, 
soft skin. He will be a delicious morsel for our sup- 
per, ugly as he looks. The ancients were very fond 
of eels. They were deified by the Egyptians, and 

442 




Ska-Serpknt ( 02:)hisnra). 



THE FISHING PARTY. 



made much account of by the classic Greeks. 
There were the MurcBua and Lamprey that figured 
so conspicuously on the tables of the Romans. 
They are found in the Mediterranean sea. The 
OphiseridcB family, the snake-eels, are distinguished 
by the tail ending in a round fin without a point." 

" Cousin Grace, did you ever see a sea-serpent } " 
asked Frank. 

" No ; but they are a species of the Ophiserida 
family." 

" What, the snake-eels 1 " asked Frank, in surprise. 

"Yes; why not.?" 

" Why, I thought a sea-serpent was something 
immense — say a hundred feet long." 

" There has often been great agitation in various 
parts of the world over an imaginary sea-serpent. 
Hundreds testified to having seen these monsters 
following in the wake of ships; but when sailors 
were bold enough to thoroughly investigate, the sea- 
monster was often discovered to be no more than 
floating sea-weed. There is a real sea-serpent, 
however, but it belongs to the same family, genus at 
least, as the snake-eel. The real sea-serpent is not 
thicker than a man's arm, nor does it measure more 

445 



THE FISHING PARTY. 



than six feet in length. It has a long and pointed 
nose, and fins which extend all the way down the 
back of the animal, as well as nearly all the way 
under it. It breathes by means of gills, like a fish." 

" Cousin Grace, did you ever see a flying-fish ? " 
asked May 

" Yes," said Grace. 

" Do tell us all about them," said Frank, hauling 
in his line, and flinging himself down on the grass. 

" Of all the fish, I think a fish with wings must be 
the most interesting," said May. '^ 

" Have em dot fevvers on their wings ? " asked Rose. 

" No, their wings are nothing but great long fins. 
Their pectoral fins are composed of seven or eight 
ribs, connected by a transparent, glutinous mem- 
brane. These little fishes can raise and flap their 
wings like little birds." 

" Are they little ? " asked Frank. 

" There are many species, ranging from three to 
twelve inches in length. Swimming in the water 
they have much the appearance of swallows, only 
they always swim in straight lines. - They have 
black backs, white stomachs and long forked tails 
like the swallows." 

446 




Argonauta, in three positions. 



THE FISHING PARTY. 



" But what do fish have wings for ? " asked Rose. 

" Because they have so many enemies, I suppose. 
They hve in large shoals, and the dorado, thunny 
and many other fish get into a shoal and devour 
large numbers. The little creatures cannot fly fast 
enough in the water, so they leap into the air, flying 
fifty or sixty yards at a time, scarcely ever more, as 
when their fins become dry they drop back into the 
water. Sometimes, they plunge beneath, rewet their 
fins, then continue their flight. But enemies await 
them here. Sea-birds often pounce upon them, too. 
The eyes of these fish protrude so that they can 
see danger from every quarter. Sometimes when 
flying, they become suddenly exhausted, and fall 
with such force upon decks of ships as to be killed 
in great numbers. One of the most singular of the 
flying-fish is the dragon-fish, or Pegastis-draco, It 
looks something like a crocodile with fan-like wings 
upon each side. It is three or four inches in length, 
and belongs to the sea-horse pipe-fish genus. The 
males carry the eggs in their coat-tail pockets until 
they are hatched," 

" Now, Tousin Grace, you're jokin', I just know! 



449 



THE FISHING PARTY. 



'Tause no little fish have toat-tails. They don't wear 
toats, at all," said Rose. 

"Not cloth ones," laughed Grace, "but shining 
scaly coats, so thick on the dragon-fish as to form 
a sort of armor. Their coat-pockets are pouches on 
their tails — a sort of sack." 




" I should think they might call it an angel-fish 
as well as a dragon-fish, or is it so very ugly ? " 
said May. 

" Not near so ugly as a fish that really bears that 
name," said Grace. 

450 




'.y. 



5AR3£Nr- 



The Pegasus Deagon {Pegams-draco). 



THE FISHING PARTY. 



" Then there is really an angel-fish ? " exclaimed 
May, delightedly. 

" Yes, one of the ugliest of fishes, and it cannot 
fly at all." 

" Perhaps it gets its name from its gentle disposi- 
tion," suggested May. 

" No ; it is very fierce, voracious and dangerous. 
Nobody likes to approach it. It is longer than a 
man and weighs a hundred pounds." 

" O dear ! Then what do they call it an angel-fish 
for ? " asked May. 

" Just a satire on its extreme ugliness I suppose; 
or it may be called that from its clumsy, awkward- 
shaped pectoral fins. It has another name which 
may be a little more appropriate, and that is monk- 
fish, from the supposed hooded resemblance to a 
monk's head. It is a very singular-looking fish 
indeed. It belongs to the Sycralidce family, the 
same as does the shark and sword-fish." 

" I was reading in the morning paper to-day that 
sharks were unusually thick this season along the 
Atlantic coast. Some little boys were bathing, 
when some fishermen came up in a boat, telling 
them that there were sharks a short distance away. 

453 



THE FISHING PARTY. 



The little boys were so frightened that they couldn't 
get their clothes on fast enough. I'd like to have 
seen Pat Ryan scared by such a yarn ; and I think 
I wouldn't mind seeing one myself," said Frank. 

" I wouldn't," said May. " They're terrible. They 
have such great teeth and large mouths that they 
can just bite a man in two at one snap of their jaws, 
can't they, Cousin Grace ? " 

" They are the most dreaded of all the fishes. 
The white shark is the most terrible, reaching some- 
times the length of twenty or thirty feet. The 
mouth with its six rows of bristling teeth, looks 
terrible indeed. He will outstrip the swiftest vessel, 
and his perserverance is indefatigable. One will 
follow in the wake of a ship for days, to pick up 
the refuse thrown overboard." 

" Don't sailors ever catch them ? " asked Frank. 

" O yes. A very large hook is baited with a 
chunk of salt pork and let down from the ship's 
side. The shark no sooner sees it, than he swims 
up, throws himself over on his side and gobbles it 
down, the hook becoming fast in his throat. A har- 
poon is plunged in his body, and the animal lifted 
from the sea, and speedily finished with handspikes 

454 



^m^mSukk 







Squalida, ok Angel-fish. 



THE FISHING PARTY. 



and axes. His thick skin is made into sheaths and 
cases, and his liver yields an oil for dressing skins. 
Their bodies emit a phosphoric light in the dark. 
There are more than thirty species of sharks, but 
none so m.uch dreaded as the one we have just been 
speaking about. The basking shark, though as 
large as the white shark, is perfectly harmless. It 
loves to lie on the surface of the water, sometimes 
on its stomach and again upon its back, basking, 
and will allow itself to be patted and stroked. Then 
there is the blue shark, the fox shark and others. 
The oddest looking of all the sharks is the hammer- 
heads. It resembles the white shark, except in the 
curious formation of its head, which is like a sort of 
a double-headed hammer, with eyes in each end, 
giving to the creature an extended power of sight." 

Grace then examined the papers of her little 
class, and found the following facts : 

" Fishes are cold-blooded, Vertebrated animals, 
have fins in place of limbs, and breathe by means 
of Branchial, or gills. 

" Trout belong to the Salmonidcs familv, and 
therefore to the same order as the salmon, Malacop- 
terygious fishes. 

457 



THE FISHING PARTY. 



" Pike and pickerel belong to the Esocidcs family, 
and to the same order as the trout. 

*' The gold-fish and the roach belong to the 
Cyprinidcs family. 

Eels belong to the AnguillidcB family. Sea- 
serpents and snake-eels to the OphiscridcB. 

Flying-fish are Malacoptergious fishes, and belong 
to the ExocmtidcE family. 

Angel -fish and sharks belong to the SqualidcB 
family, and to the Chondropterygian order. 



458 




^1;^' 



CHAPTER II. 



CATCHING LOBSTERS. 



A favorite place of resort for the little students of 
natural history and their teacher, was a mossy rock 
projecting a little way over a clear, sparkling stream 
of water ; and as it was in the vicinity of Pat's home, 
they often found him there before them. 

One day they found him standing ankle deep in 
the water, and as Frank flung aside his straw hat to 
meet the cool, gentle breeze, he cried out : " What 
are you doing there, Pat ? " 



459 



CATCHING LOBSTERS. 



" Catching lobsters," said Pat, touching his funny 
home-made cap awkwardly in the direction of Grace 
and the little girls, who stood in the back-ground, 

" How do you catch them ? " asked Grace. 

" Aisy enough, mum. I jist puts my hand down 
inter the wather and they takes hold of my finger, 
mum ! " 

" Why, Pat, don't they hurt ? " 

" Hardly a bit, mum. You see I'm always keerful 
which one of the nippers they take hold with." 

" Is there a difference in their two pincers ? " 
asked Grace. 

" O yis, mum, one of his pincers is full of teeth 
loike the edge of a saw ; the other one has knobs in 
place of teeth. When the lobster is eating he uses- 
the pincers with the knobs to hold on by, while he 
cuts up his food with the one that is full of teeth. 
I'm always keerful, mum, that the lobster shall use 
his knobby pincer in taking hold of my fingers. I'll 
show ye, mum," 

So Pat peered down to find a lobster. " There 
goes one, mum= Wait a minute and I'll have him," 
and the next moment Pat did draw up his hand with 
a lobster clinging fast to the nail of his fore-finger. 

460 




Hunting for Lobsters. 



CATCHING LOBSTERS. 



" I guess it hurts a little,'^ laughed Frank, " the 
way you show your teeth." 

" The pesky thing does hold on uncommon tight ! " 
exclaimed Pat, shaking his hand violently. Not suc- 
ceeding in making it loosen its hold, he deliberately 
broke off the claw that was attached to his finger, 
letting the lobster drop back into the water. 

" How cruel! '' exclaimed May. 

" Pho ! that's nothin'," said Pat. '• It'll grow on 
again." 

" I dess you's a big stowy teller, Pat Wyan," said 
little Rose, indignantly, "for didn't Willie Brooks 
get his finger chopped off — and it never, never 
growed on again ! " 

" Pat is right," said Grace, 

" To be sure I am, mum. Why, sometimes the/ 
bite them off themselves — and I kin tell you some-- 
thing quarer than that, I kin. IVe been doon here- 
when it thundered, and when a purtyhard clap come: 
what did the lobsters be afther doing but shooting; 
up their claws jist as if they were nearly skeered !©> 
death, so skeered that their claws dropped off I IVe 
seen their claws drop clane off many a toime ; but 
they always grow on again." 

463 



CATCHING LOBSTERS. 



The children " looked questioningly towards their 
cousin. 

" I think we shall have to let Pat be teacher for 
to-day," said Grace. " I have read of such things, 
but never saw them." 

" I've laid on this rock and watched them for 
hours and hours. I've skeered 'em, sometimes, and 
then, Miss, you ought see 'em jump back'ard. They 
shid their shells, too, mum, ivery year. They seem 
to be sick for a while before their old shells come 
off. For three or four days afther the old shells 
come off they have to hide under rocks and cracks 
or else they would git eaten up by fish. Durin' that 
toime- they're growin', too, and when they gits on 
their nice new shells they're almost as big agin as 
when they had on their old shells." 

"This is all very interesting, Pat," said Grace, 
seating herself upon the rock with her little cousins 
around her. "Can you tell me what lobsters feed 
upon ? " 

" They ates plants under the wather, and little 
fish," replied Pat. 

" Do they nurse their little ones with milk ? " 
asked Grace. 

464 




American Lobster, 



CATCHING LOBSTERS. 



Pat looked surprised. " Ye must be afther jokin, 
Miss. It's thousands upon thousands of eggs they 
be afther stickin' in the sand to hatch. They carry 
them under their tails so quare loike 'fore they 
lay 'em." 

" I see, Pat, you are a close student of nature." 

" What's the difference between a lobster and a 
scorpion ? " asked Frank. " I've got a picture of a 
scorpion in my pocket, and it looks just like a lob- 
ster." 

" Not quite I guess. A scorpion does not belong 
to the crab tribe," said Grace. " He is more like a 
spider." 

Frank drew the picture from his pocket, and the 
children clustered around him to see it. 

" You see the scorpion has a long tail, and in it a 
curved sting. In your picture he has caught a 
locust and is preparing to sting it. You can see 
that the sting is curved. That little, fleshy protu- 
berance near the sting contains the poison. The 
scorpion is not near so large as the lobster, except 
in very warm countries, and there it would nearly 
reach the size of a common lobster. The sting of 
the larger kind is very venomous, often causing 

467 



CATCHING LOBSTERS. 



death. These large ones are sometimes over a foot 
in length. The most common species are little 
more than an inch in length. The stings of the 
smallest are fatal to small animals and extremely so 
to man, and require the most careful dressing to 
prevent mortification. Scorpions have claws very- 
much like lobsters' ; but their feet are like spiders'. 
In fact they are more like a spider than anything 
else, belonging to the same family. Some of the 
scorpions have six eyes and others, eight. Though 
it is so ugly and has such a bad name, it is very ten- 
der of its young. The scorpion-mother seeks a 
retreat where her little ones will b^ out of all danger 
and for several days carries them upon her back. You 
see there is scarcely a thing in nature howsoever dis- 
agreeable but that has some good trait. But let us 
go back to creatures of the water. Do you ever 
catch crabs, Pat? " 

" Yis, mum, but there's none in fresh wather. 
You'll foind them near salt wather, to be sure. I 
often go with Farmer Hough down to the salt 
marsh and there's a place they call ' the drownded 
marsh,' becase the wathers have overflowed it ; well, 
mum, the crabs are thick enough down there." 



T') 




The Ckab. 



CATCHING LOBSTERS. 



" How do you catch them ? " 

" I takes a long Hne and ties a piece of mate or 
chicken to the end of it and lets it doon in the 
wather when, sure, mum, sometimes, two or three 
will take hold at once and then I puts my crab-net 
under thim and jist hist thim out aisy loike, mum." 

" Are they like lobsters ? " asked Frank, very much 
interested. 

" They have pincers like the lobsters, and are cov- 
ered with . a shell ; but they are round as a spider. 
The head is fastened to the brist without any jint 
and it has little eyes which look as if they was tryin' 
to pop out of its head. The crabs have eight legs 
and don't look as if they had any tail at all, as it is 
bent under the body, in a hollow betwixt the legs." 

" Arn't they any larger than a spider ? " asked 
May. 

" O yis, they're as big as my hand, and when all 
the legs are broke off and the shell — the mate is as 
white and swate to ate as any flesh you iver saw. 
We boil the pincers, too, thin crack them and suck 
out the white mate. They shid their shells once 
ivery yare, like the lobster, and seem to be jist 
loike the lobster in all their habits. They ate 

471 



CATCHING LOBSTERS. 



all koinds of dead flesh that comes in their way. 
Sometimes they foight loike the nation, breaking off 
each other's claws in their fury." 

" Isn't there a land-crab ? " asked Grace. 

"O yis, mum, there's the little fiddler — he's a 
land-crab." 

" Does he fiddle ? " asked Rose, opening her eyes 
very wide. 

" He makes a noise that sounds something like a 
fiddle, I've heard him mony a time to be sure. They 
look like a wather-crab only they're not so large, 
thin they only hev one pincer. They burrow in the 
sand and live in families.'' 

" But don't land-crabs breathe like fish, same as 
water-crabs do ? " asked Frank. 

" Yes, they breathe by means of gills, yet are not 
aquatic," said Grace. " It is necessary, however, that 
their homes in the sand contain enough moisture to 
prevent their gills from becoming too dry. There 
are several species of crabs, one of which lives in 
hollow trees, clefts in rocks, and in holes which they 
dig for themselves in the sides of mountains. But 
when it comes time for them to lay their eggs, they 
travel by the million down to the sea-coast. This is 

472 




»-:^^^-_^^^^-~ 



PSEUDOCAKCINUS GiGAS. 



CATCHING LOBSTERS. 



during the months of April and May. The whole 
ground seems swarming with them, and if they meet 
any impediment in their way, so straight do they 
march that though it be the walls of a house they 
attempt to scale it. They are, sometimes, three 
months or more in reaching the shore. Their eggs 
resemble the roe of a herring, and are about as large 
as a hen s egg. They leave them near the edge of 
the water to be hatched by the heat of the sun. 
Not more than one-third reach maturity. After the 
old ones have deposited their eggs they are feeble 
and stupid — so much so that they are obliged to dig 
holes in the ground and remain there for sometime 
to recuperate. During this time they shed their 
shells, after which they become very fat. Then they 
move slowly back to the mountains." 

" Have crabs fins } " asked Frank. 

" Sure, and it's paddles he has for his hoind legs," 
said Pat. 

" They answer the same purpose as fins," said 
Grace. " They are flat and green, resembling the 
jointed branches of a cactus, without the prickles, 
more than anything else I can liken them to. They 
can paddle themselves along nicely with such fins 

475 



CATCHING LOBSTERS. 



But of all the crabs, the hermit-crab is the queerest 
It has no shell of its own, so at once takes posses- 
sion of a deserted shell of some other animal, 
making many ludicrous attempts before it can find 
one that will exactly fit. Sometimes, two fight over 
the same shell, the strongest one coming off victo- 
rious, when he crows over the weaker one by parad- 
ing back and forth on the shore right before his 
eyes. Sometimes, a parasite attaches itself to the 
shell, the hermit-crab has appropriated to itself. 
This parasite is a sort of a sea-sunflower, so-called 
because it resembles this flower, though it is more 
commonly known as the sea-anemone, a family of 
Polyps, The hermit-crab makes many efforts to 
get clear of his burden, but when he finds it impos- 
sible he gives up and patiently bears his queer- 
looking load. But talking of the hermit-crab and 
his parasite, makes me think of the spider-crab. 
He is a little sea-animal, looking some like a spider, 
but much more like a little crab with eight legs, 
pincers and pop eyes. He plants tiny trees on his 
own back. He first covers his body with a mucilage 
from his own mouth, then sticks sea-weeds and 
marine plants on his back where they grow into a 

476 










Hermit Ck4b and Parasite. 



CATCHING LOBSTERS. 



thick swamp of little trees. Imagine a tiny forest 
of trees moving along the sea-bed ! " 

" An' I niver heard the loikes of that, mum ! " 
exclaimed Pat, taking off his cap and scratching his 
head so funnily that the children burst out laughing. 

" Tell us something more about some more queer 
fellows," whispered May in her cousin's ear, with a 
sidelong glance over at Pat. 

Grace understood that the children relished Pat's 
quaint expressions, and so went on : 

" I will tell you about some of the Cephalopods. 
They are a class of molluscous animals, with eight 
long crooked legs projecting out from around their 
heads. The cuttle-fish is the most remarkable of 
all the Cephalopods. Besides their eight legs they 
have two feelers much longer than their arms or 
legs. All these arms and feelers are set with strong 
circular cups or suckers. The eight-armed cuttle- 
fish, in hot climates, is, sometimes, twelve feet across 
its center, and each one of its arms measuring 
between forty and fifty feet. It is then called the 
devil-fish." 

" Well, now!" exclaimed Pat, scratching his head 
again. 

479 



CATCHING LOBSTERS. 



" When it seizes its prey it stretches out its long 
arms and applies its suckers to the surface of the 
body, then, drawing them up in the center, a vaccuum 
is formed, and they are fixed fast by the pressure of 
external air. Like crabs and lobsters, it is more 
easy to tear off their arms than to separate them in 
any other way; and like the crabs and lobsters 
their arms will grow again. Their mouths are so 
strong that they can easily break in pieces the shells 
of animals on which they feed. The ancients were 
fond of the cuttle-fish for food, and the Italians eat 
the monsters yet. Sometimes, when the Indians 
go out in their canoes, a great devil-fish will come 
along, and, spreading out its arms over the boat 
will sink it and its crew. The Indian is usually 
careful to take an axe along, so that the arm or 
arms of the fish may be instantly cut off the moment 
they appear upon the boat. The most curious 
thing, though, is that it is said to have three hearts, 
and always carries an immense inkstand under its 
throat. When frightened, it throws its ink out all 
around it, making the water so black it can easily 
escape, unseen. This ink is also so bitter as to 
drive off all its water-enemies." 

480 



CATCHING LOBSTERS. 



" Another foine tale, mum. Sure, and I loikes 
to hear such quare things. If Kenny was only 
here, I should loike it much." 

" Another strange Cephalopod, is the paper-nautilus 
or argonaut. The shell is as white and delicate- 
looking as paper, and though it becomes very brittle 
on being exposed to air, it is quite flexible in water, 
thus escaping destruction. It has eight arms, two 
of which are membranous. The most singular 
thing about this little fish is its power for sailing on 
the water. When the sea is calm, great numbers 
may be seen sailing about like little boats. It is 
said these creatures furnished the original idea of 
navigation." 

" But how do they do it ? " asked Frank. 

" When they want a sail, all they have to do is to 
discharge enough water from their shells to make 
them sufficiently light to float, then they raise the 
two membranous arms for sails, and throw out the 
other six over the sides of their shell for oars. They 
are not attached to their shells, and for a long time 
it was thought that they took possession of deserted 
shells like the hermit-crabs, but since they have the 
power of repairing any injury done to their shell 

483 



CATCHING LOBSTERS. 



it is more than likely that the shell is its own 
especial property. When anything disturbs the 
little sailors, they draw in all their oars, take down 
their sails, fill themselves with water and sink to 
the bottom. Large quantities of these animals are 
found in the Indian Ocean and in the Mediterra- 
nean Sea." 

" Such a foine tale as that ! " exclaimed Pat, ad- 
miringly. " Surely, mum, and it's the wish of me 
life that I can sometime go to sea. Then I could 
see all the craythers for mesilf. But sure, mum, and 
I must go now. My mither sint me out to pick up 
sticks, and I jist stopped to look at the lobsters and 
forgot mesilf," and, hastily disappearing, Pat was 
soon heard breaking up sticks among the brush. 

*' Now," said Cousin Grace, " what have we been 
talking about this morning ? " 

" I know," said little Rose, eagerly. 

"Well, dear?" 

" About lobsters and a 'tinging-bug and a crab- 
spider what plants trees on his back, and a awful 
big thing with free hearts and eight, oh ! dreat big 
arms, as long as a dreat high house, and a little fish 
that sails on the water — a paper-fish!'* 

484 




A Devil Fish. 



CATCHING LOBSTERS. 



" Cousin Grace, you told us of several kinds of 
crabs ; are there as many of lobsters ! " asked 
Frank. 

" There are prawns, shrimps and craw-fish which 
look very much like the American lobster. Prawns 
and shrimps are usually found among seaweed, a 
little distance from the shore. Shrimps are much 
smaller than prawn, and therefore are not so much 
prized as an edible. The craw-fish are found in 
every river and creek in England. In fact, these 
three last mentioned fish belong more particularly to 
England, yet species are found in all parts of the 
world — even in the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky." 

" Cousin Grace, is it true that the fish in the 
Mammoth Cave have no eyes ? " asked May. 

" What would be the use of eyes if it is all dark 
there ? " answered Frank. 

'* Some of them, it is true, have no eyes at all 
Others have eyes, but are entirely blind. That is a 
strange, dark river that flows through the Mammoth 
Cave. The little craw-fish in this cave have eyes, 
but can not see. Now, what can you tell me about 
the animals we have had to-day ? " 

" They are Articulates, because they are jointed," 

487 



CATCHING LOBSTERS. 



said Frank, " and they belong to the water-division 
of Articulates, because they breathe by means of 
their gills, and not through holes in their sides like 
insects." 

" Articulates are divided into how many classes ? " 

" Five : insects, spiders, myriapods, crustaceans and 
worms," answered May. 

" What are myr pods ? " asked Rose. " I've fordot ? " 

" Don't you remember the long worms with so 
many legs ? " asked May. 

" The centipede ? " asked Rose. ^ 

" Yes, from the word cent, a hundred, and pede^ 
foot — the worm with a hundred feet. Now I wish 
to know to which one of these classes lobsters and 
crabs belong ? " 

" To the Crustaceans, of course," said May. " I 
know from crust, the first part of the word ; for 
lobsters and crabs are covered with a hard crust." 

" Write this : " Crustaceans are divided into Deca- 
pods, Tetradecapods, Entomostracans, Cirripeds and 
Rotifiersr 

" What jaw-breakers ! " exclaimed Frank, shrug- 
ging his shoulders. 

''Decapods',' continued Grace, " have ten feet with 

488 




Hammee-headed Shark, 



CATCHING LOBSTERS. 



claws, and are of large size. Teiradecapods^ have 
fourteen feet, and are not more than one inch in 
length. Entomostracans, have an irregular number 
of legs, and are either large or small. Cirripeds, 
have shells like mollusks, but have jointed legs as 
well as a body. From the opening of the shell, the 
animal throws out its legs looking like a delicate 
curl, whence the name of the group. Rotifiers, are 
animalcules destitute of limbs, and moved by cilia." 

" What are Animalcules'? " asked May 

" Very tiny animals, indeed. So small as to be 
scarcely visible to the naked eye. Some of them 
however, are as large as a grain of sand." 

" What are Cilia ? " 

" Cilia, are little hairs which edge the wheels of 
Rotifiers ; for, you see, these little animals have 
two horns which they thrust out when hungry, and 
on the edge of each horn is a wheel — but we have 
no more time for this at present. We were talking 
about crabs and lobsters — large Crustaceans. Now, 
to what order of Crustaceans do crabs and lobsters, 
belong.?" 

" To the Decapods, I should think," said Frank. 

" You are right. Now, the Decapods are of four 

491 



CATCHING LOBSTERS. 



species: ist. Brachyural, \\\^ short-tailed, the abdo- 
men being small. 2d. Anamoural, with irregular 
abdomen ; the hermit-crab belongs to this class, and 
the common crab to the first mentioned. 3d. Mac- 
roural, the long-tailed species, as the craw-fish and 
shrimps. 4th. AnoTuobranchiate^ having the gills 
external, or else wanting, as the mantis-crab, which 
has a shell only on the fore part of it. The spider- 
crab and the cuttle-fish are of another tribe. The 
body of most of them is cylindrical, and is covered 
with a fleshy sheath instead of a hard shell. The 
cuttle-fish is a moUusk, the same as oysters. Now 
suppose we try our lunch." 










CHAPTER III. 



REVELATIONS OF THE MICROSCOPE. 



Pat came running up to the house the next day, 
followed by the children. 

Well, Pat, what have you in your tin cup ? asked 
Mr. Dumas, who was sitting with Grace upon the 
front piazza. 

" Sure, sir, and that's just what I was wantin to 
know. They must be some kind of fish, yer honor, 
becase I found them in the wather." 



REVELATIONS OF THE MICROSCOPE. 



" Everything is not fish that lives in the water." 

" Sure, and I brought the craythers up to Miss 
Grace. She kin tell me, I know." 

"O Tousin Grace, they're tunnin' little fish with 
shells, ticks and little bits of 'tones all ober 'em ! " 
exclaimed Rose. 

" Frank says he don't believe that they are fish at 
all," said May. 






" Then what are they ? " said Grace, taking the 
cup, and carefully examining the subjects. 

" They look more like some kind of a worm," 
said Frank. 

" You are right, for they are Caddis worms. They 
are the larvae of the Caddice fly." 

" Were they hatched with those shells and sticks 
on their backs ? " asked May. 



494 




FoRAMiNiPEBA (^FossU /Shells), 



REVELATIONS OF THE MICROSCOPE. 



" No, they made those cases for themselves. They 
are the houses which the little worms live in." 

" How did they stick them together ? " asked 
May. 

" By silken threads secreted in their own bodies. 
The insect, in a perfect state, is a fly with four 
hairy membranous wings and long antennce. They 
frequent marshy places, being very active in their 
movements, though awkward in their flight. They 
belong to the family Phryganidcs and to the order 
Neurapterar 

" If you will wait until I go to my room," said 
Mr. Dumas, " I will bring down a microscope that 
we may examine these little cases more minutely. 
One case is composed entirely of shells, another of 
bark, and this one of sticks and seeds," added Mr. 
Dumas, handing over the microscope to Grace. 

Then the children took their turns at the glass, 
and were much entertained. 

" Isn't there something else that we can look at 
through the microscope t " asked Frank. 

" Why, yes, you can spend all day with it if you 
like. Here is a box of sand I would like to put 
under the instrument. It came from the sea-shore." 

497 



REVELATIONS OF THE MICROSCOPE. 

" Why," exclaimed Grace, " it is half shells ; and 
to think that all these tiny shells once held a living 
occupant 

" They are Foraminifera',' said Mr. Dumas. " A 
name given to a group of tiny organisms having 
calcaneus shells. They were, until recently, called 
microscopic Cephalopods, but are now regarded as 
Protozoa, the pores in the shells being for the tiny 
occupants to thrust out their delicate filaments in 
order to take in their food or to aid them in 
locomotion. Recent Foraminifera are beautiful 
subjects for the microscope, but they are found 
more plentifully in the fossil state. In the fossil 
state, these tiny shells may be found in rocks of all 
formations. The grandest city in the world is said 
to be built of them, since they constitue the stones 
of which the city is built. Even the pyramids of 
Egypt are said to be composed of these Foraminifera, 
massed together into the stone work, and there are 
mountains largely composed of just such tiny shells." 

" Now, children, when you see the world is full 
of creatures that you cannot see at all without a 
glass," said Grace, " don't you think your lifetimes 
too short for the study of natural history ? " 

498 



REVELATIONS OF THE MICROSCOPE. 



" The world is teeming with animal life even 
beyond the power of the most powerful microscope," 
said Mr. Dumas. 

May took a pin, and tried to touch one of the 
little shells, which only appeared to be a grain of sand. 

Rose watched her intently, then puckering up 
her forehead, said : 

" How tan God make such little fings ? ' 

" A mystery that has puzzled greater philosophers 
than we," said Mr. Dumas. 

" I was about to show you," added Mr. Dumas, 
" what moves in water unseen, or unnoticed, since 
we have been talking so much about water-creatures 
in the few days past. Who will bring me a drop 
of stagnant water upon a leaf ? 

The children all ran to a little pool, but Pat was 
foremost with a cup full. 

Mr. Dumas placed a drop on a single leaf, and 
placed it under the microscope. 

" What do you see, Rose ? " asked Frank, impa- 
tiently, as the little baby-student kept them waiting 
a long time for their turns. 

" O, eber so many fings ! There are fishes and 
worms, and Httle snakes and lots of jumpin' fings!" 

499 



REVELATIONS OF THE MICROSCOPE. 

" Well, let somebody else see these wonders," said 
Frank. 

" What is that thing with a feather on the end 
of its tail ? " asked May, when she got the glass. 
" It looks something Mke a wee bit of a lobster." 

" Well, so it is. It is called Cyclops Quadricornis. 
Quadricornis, because it has four horns or antenna, 
and Cyclops^ because it has one eye. It belongs to 




a genus of minute Crustaceans, and to the order 
Entomostraca. They may be found in clear or 
stagnant water, and are some of the animals which 
help to make the sea luminous. Now, let us cut 
off the tail of this little lobster, and place it under 
a reflecting microscope, for you see I have one glass 
just for very small objects. The feathers at the end 
of the two-pronged tail, are the Cyclops" fins or 

500 



REVELATIONS OF THE MICROSCOPE. 



Cilia with which he swims. Now, do each one of 
you notice those two little purses on each side of 
the mother Cyclops eggs, and if you will observe 
closely, you will see the Cyclops young in several 
stages. They look like little crabby bugs. The 
smallest one has just been hatched. Another, a 
little larger is eight days old ; another, fifteen, and 
another more than a month old. You see the largest 
one is beginning to take the form of its mother. 




Each one of the mother's bags contains as many as 
forty eggs. All of the Entomostraca are covered 
with hard, horny shells. Here is a Cypris which 
seems to be a tiny bivalve, for it has its body en- 
closed in a shell of two horny pieces. They have 
feathered legs and antenncE which serve them for 
fins and Cilia. They are a very common species, 
and swim with great rapidity. Remove its shell 

501 



REVELATIONS OF THE MICROSCOPE. 

and you have an animal like this. Do you see that 
beautiful red object ? That is a Daphnia, and it is a 
genus of mollusks belonging to the order Brachio- 
podo. This is always a favorite microscopic object." 

" Please, Mr. Dumas, are such little creatures as 
these any good ? " asked May. 

" Certainly they are ; for nothing God has wrought 
is for naught They are very useful in cleansing 




stagnant water from decomposing matter. Nothing 
but mites, yet a mission to fill." 

" Faith, sir, and I'd loike to ask what koind of 
craythers they are with the little wheels spinnin' 
around. They are the purtiest and the oddest of 
'em all to be sure," said Pat. 

" They are wheel-animalculce or Rotifiers. There 
are a great many species. They belong to the 
branch Protozoa, and were placed by Ehrenberg 
among the Infusorial 



502 



REVELATIONS OF THE MICROSCOPE. 



" What are Infusoria ? " asked May. 

" They are the animalcules which tinge stagnant 
water with green." 

" And is it animals which makes the wather 
green ? Sure, and I've wondered mony a toimc 
where the green scum come from," said Pat. 

" So have I," said May. 

" Their nutriment consists of decayed vegetable 
and animal matter, hence why we find them in 





stagnant pools of water. Their various motions 
are exercised merely for the purpose of obtaining 
their prey. The rotation of their wheels causes an 
eddy in the water, which attracts into its vortex 
animalcules which are swimming near. Then it 
contracts its tentacula, and has them fast. These 
Rotijiers may be kept for months out of water, 
appearing like a little round grain of sand, yet 
coming to life and motion on being replaced in 
water. These wheel-bearers frequently change their 

503 



REVELATIONS OF THE MICROSCOPE. 



shapes. They can withdraw their wheels at pleasure 
and become a globule. I have seen an animalcule 
called the Protect Vibrio^ which first had the ap- 
pearance of a tiny graceful swan. It changed its 
form many times. Sometimes it would draw its 
head and long neck entirely out of sight, and take 
the form of a cone, then it would throw out a 
wheel and appear to be a Rotifierr 




" Does it belong to the same species as the 
wheel-bearers } " 

"It belongs to the branch Protozoa, the same ; 
and are ranked among the Rhizapoda, which move 
by minute tentacular filaments." 

" I see some little green balls moving about in 
the water. What are they ? " asked Frank. 

" Volrox Globators. They roll over like a ball, 

504 



REVELATIONS OF THE MICROSCOPE. 



spin like a top, or glide along. They seem to be 
studded with a great many green spots which are 
surrounded with tiny hairs or Cilia. These spots 
are globulets which contain their young. When 
they are properly matured, the exterior membrane 
bursts, and the little ones begin an existence of 
their own." 

" Mr. Dumas, what are these things on this leaf?" 
asked Frank. 

" Those are HydrcE or Polyps, They have a long 
tubular body fixed at the base, and their mouths are 
surrounded by arms or tentacles. They are cer- 




tainly one of the most wonderful productions of 
nature. The long-armed and green Polyp will 
speak for the whole class. They afBx themselves 
to the under parts of leaves and to the stems of 
vegetable matter that grow immersed in water, and 
feed upon small worms for the most part, and swal- 
lows them leisurely, though they may be three times 
larger than themselves. Sometimes two Polyps com- 



505 



REVELATIONS OF THE MICROSCOPE. ^ 

mence swallowing the same worm, one commencing 
on each end until their mouths meet, then the 
largest Polyp gapes, and swallows his foe and all ; 
but, instead of suffering any by the process, he 
remains in his brother Polyp's stomach for an hour, 
when, strange to say, he comes out unhurt, and very 
often with the prey which he was contending for." 
" If I iver heard the loikes of that, sure, in all my 
born days ! " exclaimed Pat, throwing himself down 




and rolling over and over with laughter, which he 
was joined in by the others until the tears rolled 
down their cheeks. 

" Sure, now ! " said Pat, again. 

" Another very astonishing thing about these 
little creatures is, that if they are all cut to pieces, 
not only the parent-stock will remain uninjured, but 
every piece, though there are hundreds, will become 
a distinct animal. The head of one species may be 



506 



REVELATIONS OF THE MICROSCOPE. 



engrafted on the body of another, forming one 
creature. Both tails may be cut off, and the two 
head portions of the animal be engrafted together 
and they will form one animal with two heads. 
These creatures are very active for most of the year, 
but when it becomes very cold all action is sus- 
pended, and they remain torpid until warmer weather 
comes." 




" Were the Hydrcs we were talking about as 
being the mothers of some of the little baby jelly- 
fish the HydrcB you have been telling us about 
to-day," asked May. 

" Those were marine Hydrcs. These are fresh 
water ones," said Mr. Dumas. 

" Let me see if I can name over everything we 

507 



REVELATIONS OF THE MICROSCOPE. 



have talked of and seen to-day," said Frank. " First, 
there was the Caddis worm, then the Foramnifera, 
Cyclops quadricornes belonging to the order Ento- 
mostraca, and then the little baby Cyclops, the Cypris 
the Rotijiers, the Volrox Globators and the Hydrce 
or Polyps!' 

"That will do," said Mr. Dumas. " Now bound 
away to your play." 

The children did not need a second invitation 
and Mr. Dumas and Grace were left alone. 

" O, Mr. Dumas, how can I ever thank you 
enough, for the interest you have taken in the 
children ? " said Grace, earnestly. " I am sure our 
lessons will grow dull when we take them up at 
home alone." 

" It has, indeed, been a happy summer," said Mr. 
Dumas, "and I am glad if I have in any way helped 
make it so." 



508 



UBBABV 



ONGBESS 




